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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26822701">august</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilia_Rowan/pseuds/Emilia_Rowan'>Emilia_Rowan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yearly Traditions [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Background Relationships, F/F, Lillian Luthor Being an Asshole, Lillian is homophobic, Minor Kara Danvers/Mon-El, Minor Kara Danvers/William Dey, Minor Lena Luthor/Jack Spheer, Smut, Summer Romance, happy ending guaranteed, lovers to friends to girlfriends to wives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:27:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>70,936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26822701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilia_Rowan/pseuds/Emilia_Rowan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On a vacation to National City, before her freshman year at MIT, Lena meets a muscular, sweet blonde named Kara Danvers. Over the next ten years, they navigate the complexities of life, growing as individuals, and overcoming fears, but like clockwork every August they always come back to one another. This is a journey over ten years of Augusts spent as lovers, friends, girlfriends, wives, and mothers together.</p><p>(yes it is inspired by the Taylor Swift song of the same name)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Russell Rogers/Andrea Rojas, Samantha "Sam" Arias/Alex Danvers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yearly Traditions [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>750</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Supercorp Big Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. August 14, 2009</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It has been an amazing privilege to be part of the SuperCorp Big Bang this year! Please be sure to check out the amazing art that goes along with this fic, as well as the other stories and art in the collection.</p><p> </p><p>  <a> Art by 3agheera</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a> Art by al.ppacca</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on, it’ll be fun!”</p><p>Those five little words were all it took for Andrea to convince Lena to book a last minute flight to California. It was the second week of August, three months after their graduation from Mount Helena’s School for Girls, and two weeks before they were scheduled to begin their freshman years at their respective colleges. Lena was headed to Boston to study at MIT and Andrea was headed back to Argentina for a degree in economic sciences from the University of Buenos Aires. After two and a half years of friendship, Lena was dreading seeing her best friend go, so she had easily agreed to one last hurrah— a week-long vacation to National City with its blazing sunshine, pristine waves, and white sand beaches.</p><p>They spent the first day shopping and blowing a ridiculous amount of money on their fathers’ credit cards. After that, most of their days were spent on the beach, soaking in the sunshine and the salt air. Their nights were spent in the hottest clubs National City had to offer. Though they were both barely eighteen, they both had fake IDs that said they were twenty-one, and the confidence to pull them off— at least Andrea did, anyway. Lena followed along willingly, happy to spend as much time with her best friend as she possibly could.</p><p>That was how Lena found herself, two days before their scheduled departure, hungover as hell and firmly ensconced beneath a rainbow-colored beach umbrella. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the music playing from a tinny iPod speaker was almost enough to drown out Andrea’s boisterous laughter— almost.</p><p>“It’s not funny!” Lena exclaimed, sinking lower in her beach chair. A couple walking past them looked their way curiously, and Lena wished she could disappear through the floral-print beach towel and into the white sand below.</p><p>“Oh, it’s hilarious!” Andrea guffawed. “<em>Only sleeps with good Catholics!</em> Hah!”</p><p>A woman sitting nearby looked over with an accusatory frown and Lena raised her book in front of her face in embarrassment. It wasn’t that she was surprised by Andrea’s behavior; after two years of friendship she was used to her loud mouth and even louder laughter. In fact, she loved those traits most of the time, except when they were aimed at her.</p><p>“Oh, Lena, I’m not laughing at <em>you</em>!” Andrea scoffed, rolling over onto her belly on her beach towel. Her tan skin gleamed like burnished gold in the California sun while Lena’s stayed pale as alabaster, courtesy of the most powerful sunscreen she could find.</p><p>“I know, but it’s still embarrassing,” Lena huffed from behind her book.</p><p>“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Andrea frowned. “Virginity is just a social construct designed by the patriarchy as a way to police women’s bodies.”</p><p>“I just never imagined I’d still be a virgin when I started my freshman year of college,” Lena sighed.</p><p>“I mean, you’ve still got time,” Andrea said, wiggling her eyebrows. Lena blushed and Andrea laughed teasingly.</p><p>A volleyball spraying them both with sand interrupted any response Lena might’ve made. Faster than Lena could blink, Andrea jumped to her feet in a blur of Spanish-speaking fury as she grabbed the ball and charged off toward the group of college students who were playing nearby. Lena shook her head and returned to her well-worn copy of <em>Anna Karenina</em>.</p><p>“Guess what?”</p><p>Lena blinked as she pulled her attention out of nineteenth century Russia and back to the present. Andrea plopped down beside her beneath the umbrella and started digging through the cooler they had brought with them.</p><p>“What?” Lena finally replied.</p><p>“I might have a solution to your problem,” she said. “I just scored us an invitation to a party tonight.”</p><p>Lena groaned. “Andy!”</p><p>“What?” Andrea looked at her pointedly. “It’s mostly gonna be NCU students, and it’s LGBT friendly, if you want your first time to be with a girl instead.”</p><p>Lena sputtered, even though she wasn’t the one drinking water. “I— Andrea!”</p><p>“I know you try really hard to be straight because Lillian’s a bitch, but I also know you had a crush on Veronica Sinclair last year and don’t try to deny it.”</p><p>Lena frowned. “I hate you.”</p><p>“You love me, and at least this way you don’t have to come out to me,” Andrea told her. “So anyway… party. Meet a girl or a guy and just... do it.”</p><p>“You know I don’t do <em>that</em>!” Lena hissed in a voice that sounded horrifyingly similar to her mother.</p><p>“<em>That</em> being what, one night stands, or sex in general?” Andrea asked. “Don’t act like you’re too good for a one night stand, Luthor. That’s another social construct to make us feel guilty about our sexuality.”</p><p>“You and your <em>social constructs</em>.” Lena rolled her eyes.</p><p>“I’m just saying, maybe a one night stand is just what you need,” Andrea continued, ignoring her.</p><p>Lena fiddled with the edge of her book. “I’d be too nervous.”</p><p>“That’s why it’s such a good idea,” Andrea declared. “There’s no need to be nervous if it’s just for one night. No strings, no commitments, and no stress. If it’s no good, then you never have to see the other person again. And if it <em>is</em> good, well, you’ve got a spectacular story to remember about your first time.”</p><p>“I— I couldn’t.” Lena shook her head and tried to banish the thought from her mind.</p><p>Four hours later, however, as Lena gave herself a once-over in her hotel room, the idea was still on her mind. She smoothed down the bottom of her dress and fluffed her hair yet again as Andrea emerged from the bathroom.</p><p>“You look cute, <em>chabona</em>,” Andrea commented. “Did you wear your sexy panties?”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes. “Did you?”</p><p>“Of course,” Andrea replied with a wink, and Lena laughed.</p><p>They caught a cab to the address Andrea had been given— a beach house in a residential area just north of the city. It was a nice neighborhood, not quite Luthor or Rojas level, but nice all the same. The three-story beach house they pulled up to was lit up from top to bottom, and they could hear music pounding from the back even as they walked up the front stairs. Lena followed behind Andrea as they made their way into the crowded living room.</p><p>“Hey, look! Bikini girl! And she brought a friend!”</p><p>Lena bristled at the greeting from a random dude-bro in a pale pink polo and khaki shorts, but Andrea just laughed and made her way toward the two guys she had met earlier on the beach. They showed them around the house quickly, offering them each a cup of punch that obviously contained half a liquor store worth of alcohol, and the deck and beach access out back. A bonfire had been lit on the beach below, and a few people were starting to gather around it, but most were still packed inside the house. Someone had their iPod plugged into the house’s speaker system, blasting everything from shitty country to hip hop to hard rock.</p><p>It was Lena’s first college party and she tried, she really tried, to have a good time. She danced with one of the guys from the beach, drank her cup of punch and accepted a refill, but eventually the volume from the music and the heat from too many bodies and not enough air conditioning was just too much. Andrea was still dancing, sandwiched between the two guys from the beach and having a great time from the looks of it, so Lena left her to it.</p><p>“I’m gonna go outside for a bit,” she shouted over the cacophony. “Don’t do anything stupid.”</p><p>“Back atcha, <em>piba</em>,” Andrea replied, then seemed to think better of it. “Actually, I take that back, <em>please</em> do something stupid for once in your life.”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes and headed out to the deck, refilling her punch on the way. Outside the sun was sinking down past the horizon, casting a golden glow over the ocean and everything between. Lena stood beside the steps leading down to the beach and let the evening breeze dry the sheen of sweat from her skin, until she was unceremoniously bumped from behind.</p><p>“Oof! Oops, sorry, didn’t see you there!”</p><p>Lena scowled and turned, but her expression quickly melted as her jaw dropped to the wooden deck beneath her. The woman in front of her was, to put it simply, <em>really hot</em>— blonde hair pulled back in a wavy ponytail, a string bikini top clearly visible beneath a white t-shirt, a plaid button up tied around her waist, and cutoff jean shorts that showed a long expanse of golden tan legs. She blushed and looked away awkwardly, and that’s when Lena realized she was staring.</p><p>“Oh, sorry,” she said, looking away as well. She didn’t normally gawk at people, but then again she’s never felt such instant attraction to someone before either.</p><p>“No, I bumped into you,” the girl replied. “I guess I was too excited about s’mores to look where I was going.”</p><p>That was when Lena noticed the grocery bags in her hands, laden with graham crackers and marshmallows and multiple packs of chocolate bars.</p><p>“You want some of this?” she asked, raising her arms. Lena’s eyes couldn’t help but trace the way her biceps strained with the movement. The girl sputtered. “S’mores, I mean!”</p><p>“Yeah, no, I mean… Of course,” Lena huffed. “I’d love one. A s’more, that is.”</p><p>The blonde smiled widely. “Great. Come on.”</p><p>Lena took a big sip of her punch before following the blonde down the stairs to the sand. They both kicked their sandals off when they made it to the beach, and the blonde looked at her curiously.</p><p>“I’m Kara, by the way.”</p><p>“Lena,” she replied.</p><p>“Lena,” Kara repeated, and the way she said it, how the syllables rolled off her tongue before her lips curled into a grin, made Lena’s insides burn with more than the alcohol. “Do you go to NCU?”</p><p>“No, actually, I’m just in National City for the week with a friend,” Lena explained as they made their way toward the fire. “We met some guys on the beach today, they invited us.”</p><p>Kara nodded. “I’m a transfer, starting as a junior.”</p><p>“I’ll be a freshman at MIT,” Lena said, lowering her head in humility.</p><p>“Wow!” Kara exclaimed. “So you must be like a genius or something!”</p><p>“Not exactly.” Lena blushed.</p><p>“Hey, don’t be shy about it, it’s impressive!” Kara told her, bumping against her hip. “Winn! Hey, Winn, c’mere! You gotta meet this girl!”</p><p>Winn, it turned out, was one of Kara’s friends, a complete nerd and computer geek. Lena quickly found herself sitting on a bench, sandwiched between him and the blonde, talking with him about coding while Kara put marshmallows on skewers.</p><p>“Alright, enough talking about stuff I don’t understand,” Kara huffed.</p><p>“You introduced us!” Winn exclaimed.</p><p>“Yeah, but I didn’t mean for you to monopolize her,” Kara muttered as she passed out their skewers.</p><p>Lena looked at the puffy confectionery like it might bite her. “So… how do I do this?”</p><p>Kara gasped dramatically. “You’ve never toasted a marshmallow?”</p><p>“Give her a break, Kara, she doesn’t exactly look like the outdoorsy type,” Winn commented, and Kara reached around and shoved him goodnaturedly. “Hey!”</p><p>“You’re one to talk,” Kara told him before turning back to Lena. “Alright, so the trick is to hold it over the hot coals instead of the flames, to brown it but not all the way where it melts off the skewer. And then you just have to keep rotating until it’s done. Here let me…”</p><p>Kara put her hand over Lena’s as she lowered the skewer toward the fire, and the warmth of her palm made goosebumps break out on Lena’s arm. After a moment Kara pulled the marshmallow back quickly and blew out the small flame that had taken hold, blackening one edge.</p><p>“Okay, now for the good stuff,” she declared, grabbing the graham crackers and chocolate bars she had already laid out beside her and smooshing the marshmallow between them. It slid off the skewer with a sticky squelch and Kara grinned as she held her creation toward Lena. “For you.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Lena replied bashfully, balancing what was left of her punch between her knees as she took the proffered s’more. She bit into it with a moan of delight.</p><p>Beside her, Kara coughed abruptly, looking anywhere but toward Lena. Winn reached around her and smacked the blonde between the shoulder blades.</p><p>“You alright there?” he asked, and Kara gave him a thumbs up in reply, though she was still coughing.</p><p>“Yeah, uh, down the wrong pipe,” she replied.</p><p>The evening wore on, and eventually more people migrated from the house down to the beach. Lena caught Andrea’s eye at some point as she continued dancing around from boy to boy, never staying with one long enough for him to really get his hopes up. Lena, however, stayed glued to Kara’s side, talking in hushed whispers with loud laughter about everything from food to classes to music.</p><p>“Hey, look what I got!”</p><p>Lena looked up to see Winn returning from the house with a guitar in hand. Beside her, Kara groaned and buried her face in Lena’s shoulder. Winn sat back down beside them and checked the tuning as people started shouting requests. What followed was an interesting combination of classics and modern pop. Lena even found herself humming along with “Hey There Delilah” and a horrible rendition of “Sweet Caroline”. She booed with the rest of the crowd when Winn started playing “Wonderwall”. She leaned into Kara as it wound down and Winn started playing around with the placement of his capo.</p><p>“Hey, Kara, remember this one?” he asked after a moment, strumming a few notes.</p><p>“Ugh, Winn,” Kara huffed.</p><p>“<em>Pleeeeease</em>,” Winn pouted as he played the first few notes. “<em>It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside…</em>”</p><p>Winn had a lovely voice, and Lena found herself relaxing as it rang into the night. A few scattered voices from around the bonfire joined in. But then Kara opened her mouth and joined in.</p><p>“<em>If I was a sculptor, but then again no…</em>”</p><p>Suddenly the crowd was completely still, and all Lena could hear was the sound of the crashing waves, the crackling fire, her pounding heart, and Kara’s voice. It was like a spell washed over them as the blonde sang, and when she and Winn harmonized on the chorus Lena swore a chill went down her spine.</p><p>“<em>Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen</em>,” Kara sang, looking down at Lena.</p><p>The breath caught in Lena’s throat. She stood from the bench and hurried away from the bonfire, down the beach. Behind her, she could hear Winn pick up and finish the song, and the small gathered crowd cheered. As she made her way down the beach the night became colder, and she rubbed her arms against the chill.</p><p>“Lena? Hey, Lena, wait!”</p><p>She turned around to see Kara running behind her, struggling a bit in the loose sand. Finally the blonde caught up, standing awkwardly a step away.</p><p>“Are you okay?” she asked, brow crinkling in concern.</p><p>“Yeah, it was just a little crowded, you know?” Lena lied, still rubbing away the goosebumps on her arms.</p><p>“Here,” Kara said, pulling the plaid shirt from around her waist. “You look cold.”</p><p>“I’m fine, I—“ Lena started, but Kara was already wrapping the flannel around her shoulders and she had little choice but to stick her arms through the sleeves. They were long, hanging past her fingers.</p><p>“There,” Kara nodded, looking her over.</p><p>“I clash with myself,” Lena chuckled. The red floral print of her dress definitely didn’t go with the blue-and-rust-colored plaid.</p><p>“You look cute,” Kara told her. “Great, even.”</p><p>Lena looked up at her with wide eyes as possibilities warred in her mind. Finally she stepped forward, her mind made up.</p><p>“I’ve never done anything like this,” she said, voice wavering.</p><p>Kara swallowed hard, the muscles in her neck flexing. “Like what?”</p><p>“Asked someone I just met to kiss me,” Lena replied simply.</p><p>“Oh,” Kara said, her voice little more than breathing. “So, you mean…”</p><p>“Kiss me?” Lena asked, reaching forward to twist her finger around the belt loop on Kara’s cutoffs.</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara breathed, and then her lips were on Lena’s.</p><p>It wasn’t that Lena was inexperienced with kissing. She has kissed before, has been kissed before, but somehow none of those kisses were quite like kissing Kara. None of those kisses felt like electricity racing over her skin, and none of them made heat pool low in Lena’s belly like one of the embers from the bonfire had taken root there. It was downright chaste at first, just the soft pressing of closed lips, but then Lena tugged on Kara’s belt loop reflexively, pulling their hips closer together, and they both gasped at the same time. Kara’s tongue slid against Lena’s lower lip and she groaned in response, and that was all the encouragement the blonde needed to dive in deeper.</p><p>Lena slid her hand up Kara’s body, feeling the smooth planes of her stomach through her t-shirt before tracing up her sternum, glancing across the side of her breast, around her neck and into blonde hair to pull her closer as Kara’s tongue dove into her mouth, tasting and seeking. Kara tasted like chocolate and beer and smelled like sunshine, and it was absolutely intoxicating. Every nervous thought disappeared as strong arms wrapped around her body, pulling them flush, until Lena’s hips jerked against Kara’s, pulling them both out of the stupor and forward into something more.</p><p>“Do you wanna—?” Kara began.</p><p>“Yes,” Lena replied quickly.</p><p>Kara groaned, but her lips spread into a wide smile as she pulled back and took Lena’s hand in hers. They made their way back along the beach, giving the crowd around the bonfire a wide berth. Lena could hear Winn slurring the words of a Nickelback song, and the crowd booing his song choice, but her attention was quickly pulled back to Kara, who pressed her against the post at the bottom of the steps and kissed her hungrily.</p><p>“You’re so pretty,” Kara huffed against her lips. “Come on.”</p><p>Lena followed her up the stairs and across the deck, into the large house and up more stairs. The sound of the party was muted through the walls, but somehow the sound of the waves still pierced the still air of the empty house. Kara knocked roughly on one of the doors, and when there was no response she opened it and pulled Lena inside.</p><p>What appeared to be an unused guest bedroom greeted them. Kara let go of her hand and moved to switch on the bedside lamp, and Lena took in the plain taupe duvet and chocolate brown pillows just before Kara threw them aside. She shifted nervously, bare feet digging into the plush carpet below, until she caught Kara watching her.</p><p>“We can go back down to the party if you’re nervous,” Kara said softly. “I won’t mind.”</p><p>“No, I don’t… I just…” Lena bit her lip. Might as well say it. “I’ve never done this before.”</p><p>“Wh— <em>Oh</em>!” Kara gasped.</p><p>“Yeah,” Lena said shyly. “So I get it if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“No!” Kara exclaimed. “No, I mean, yes, I mean… Well, everybody’s gotta have a first time, right?”</p><p>Lena nodded, even though she was pretty sure the question was rhetorical. “Right.”</p><p>“I just… Are you sure you want your first time to be <em>me</em>?” Kara asked.</p><p>If Lena wasn’t sure before, the earnest look in Kara’s blue eyes made the decision for her.</p><p>“I’m sure,” she said. “Just, um, tell me what to do?”</p><p>Kara smiled softly and crossed the room to her. She reached up for the collar of her flannel and pushed it back until it dropped to the floor at their feet. “Just kiss me again, and I’ll take it from there, okay, babe?”</p><p>The pet name practically made Lena melt. “Okay.”</p><p>Kara’s kiss was slower this time, more deliberate. It was like each pull and push of her lips against Lena’s was designed to strategically liquify Lena’s bones, until she was putty against her. She didn’t even realize they were moving until the backs of her knees hit the side of the bed and Kara pulled back a miniscule amount to meet her eyes before pressing her even further. Lena fell back with a huff, then scooted further up onto the mattress with Kara moving above her.</p><p>Kara braced herself on one hand while the other explored lower. Her lips kept Lena busy as her hand skimmed down her side, tracing her curves, then back up to cup her breast through the cotton dress she was wearing. Lena groaned as Kara squeezed lightly, and her legs squeezed together beneath them. Kara pulled back from her lips and looked down between their bodies.</p><p>“You’re so pretty,” she said, dipping her head to kiss Lena’s jaw and then her clavicle. Her hand dipped lower, to the hem of her dress, and she looked up again. “Can I—?”</p><p>Lena nodded quickly. “Yes, yes.”</p><p>Kara grinned and tugged at the skirt, up and up. Lena sat up for just a moment so Kara could pull the fabric over her head, and then the blonde tossed it aside and sat back to take in the sight. Lena shifted uncomfortably as wide blue eyes raked over her from top to bottom. She hadn’t been lying to Andrea— she had worn her sexy panties, red lace with a bra to match. Still, she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious under Kara’s gaze.</p><p>“I was wrong,” Kara said breathily. “You’re not pretty. You’re <em>beautiful</em>.”</p><p>Lena could feel her skin flush all the way to the tips of her ears. She looked up at Kara. “Can you—?”</p><p>“Oh, um, yeah,” Kara replied, quickly pulling her t-shirt over her head. The string bikini underneath was black and white striped, and it barely covered the small mounds of her breasts. Before Lena could really look her fill, Kara reached down and unfastened her shorts, then shoved them down and clumsily kicked them off and into the floor beside the bed, revealing matching bikini bottoms underneath.</p><p>Lena swallowed hard as Kara turned back to her, looming over her like a goddess or a lioness or maybe a little of both.</p><p>“You’re beautiful, too,” Lena told her.</p><p>Kara smiled and dipped her head bashfully, and all traces of predatory deity disappeared. Instead it was just Kara, the sweet girl on the beach, and Lena wanted nothing more than to kiss her again— so she did.</p><p>It was different, skin on skin, damp and warm, sticky and slick at the same time. Lena’s hands grazed over the lines of Kara’s back, fingers tracing the bumps of her ribs and spine. Kara’s free hand, the one not holding her up, came to Lena’s breast again, and she traced her fingertips in circles over the lace of Lena’s bra. Lena could feel her nipple stiffening beneath the fabric as Kara’s fingers drew nearer and nearer, but she never touched her. Lena pulled her head away to ask why, just as Kara lowered her head and captured her breast in her mouth, lace and all.</p><p>Lena shouted at the sensation. She had touched herself there before, but nothing could’ve prepared her for the wet heat of Kara’s mouth around her nipple, tongue laving against the lace of her bra. A moment later Kara tugged the material down and out of the way, until she was only tasting flesh. She sucked hard at the pebbled peak, then soothed it with her tongue. She pulled back and grinned up at Lena as she reached around her back and unfastened her bra, pulling it off and tossing it aside along with the rest of their clothes. Then she lowered her head again to the opposite side, and Lena could only whimper and dig her hands into Kara’s hair and back to hold her in place.</p><p>Her fingers found the ties holding Kara’s bikini top in place and she tugged questioningly.</p><p>“Kara?” she whimpered, but the question came out in her tone as she gave another tug. Kara looked up at her with kiss-swollen lips and dilated pupils, and Lena had to swallow hard to find her words. “I want to touch you, too.”</p><p>“God, yes, baby,” Kara replied with a sigh as she kissed her way back up Lena’s chest and neck. “Anything you want.”</p><p>Lena untied the string around Kara’s neck, then reached for the one lower on her back. The fabric fell away and this time it was her turn to toss it aside as Kara hovered above her. Lena looked down at her breasts, smaller than her own but beautiful, slightly paler than the rest of her body where the bikini covered them, topped with dusky nipples just a shade darker than Lena’s. Lena reached down with both hands and cupped the mounds of flesh, kneading them softly until Kara moaned above her. The sound thrummed through Lena’s entire body, settling between her legs and making her hips buck up against Kara’s insistently.</p><p>“Christ, Lena, I can feel you,” Kara muttered, pressing a kiss to the corner of Lena’s lips before pulling back. She looked down between them as her fingers found the edges of Lena’s panties on her hips. “You’re so wet.”</p><p>Lena could feel it, soaking through her stupidly expensive lace panties. Kara’s eyes zeroed in right between her legs, and Lena squirmed under her gaze, until she tugged at the edges. There was barely any resistance as she lowered the material down Lena’s legs and Lena kicked them away with a flick of her toes. Kara looked down at her and swallowed hard.</p><p>“Jesus,” she muttered, and swallowed again. Finally she lowered herself, pressing kisses to Lena’s thighs. “Can I taste you?”</p><p>Part of Lena melted at the suggestion, but another part seized up with nerves. Kara looked up at her, as if sensing her tension, and her fingers traced soothing circles on her thighs.</p><p>“You okay?” she asked gently.</p><p>“Yeah,” Lena barked tensely, then she sighed. “Yeah, just, um, can I… I think I’d rather see you, if that’s okay. And touch you, up here.”</p><p>Kara’s brow crinkled in thought for a moment, then she smiled. She pressed one last kiss to the side of Lena’s knee before crawling over Lena.</p><p>“Like I said, whatever you want,” she said, kissing her lips again. “Just hold onto me, and tell me if anything is too much, okay?”</p><p>“Okay,” Lena replied, wrapping her arms around Kara’s shoulders. The blonde kissed her again, and her hand dipped between them.</p><p>At the first brush of Kara’s fingers against Lena’s mound, her hips jerked in both surprise and excitement. Kara chuckled against her lips as she pushed through damp, dark curls and into the heat beyond. They both groaned as Kara delved deeper, spreading Lena’s wetness up and down her folds, until she bumped into Lena’s clit. Lena wasn’t sure if the touch was deliberate or accidental, but the effect was the same either way. Her hips bucked hard against Kara’s hand and a sound like a sob was ripped from her throat.</p><p>“Again?” Kara asked, pressing a kiss to her jaw.</p><p>“God, yes, please, <em>fuck</em>,” Lena huffed, shifting her hips in search of more friction.</p><p>Kara moved her fingers with surety, first circling Lena’s clit and then spreading her fingers into a sharp V-shape and stroking up and down. Lena’s hips thrashed against the bed, and sounds she had never made before filled the room. She could still hear the ocean waves outside, and the tinny sound of music being played through shitty speakers, but louder than that she could hear Kara’s labored breathing beside her ear, and her own blood pumping heavily through her veins as her body wound tighter and tighter toward something, something so close and so good and—</p><p>“Kara!” Lena shouted her name in a warbling breath as she plummeted over the edge. It wasn’t an entirely new experience— her own fingers had brought her to orgasm plenty of times in the dark quiet of her bedroom— but to give that control to another person, to allow this almost-stranger to bring her to the brink, that was something entirely new and wonderful. Lena dug her short nails into the muscles of Kara’s back, holding on for dear life as her body crashed in on itself, coming apart only to put itself back together again. Kara continued rubbing between her legs, gently, her manipulation slowing until Lena collapsed into the mattress.</p><p>“Oh, fuck!” Lena huffed, and Kara giggled above her before she kissed her, just a brief touch so that Lena could catch her breath.</p><p>“Wanna go again?” she asked before nipping at Lena’s bottom lip and sucking it into her mouth.</p><p>Lena keened, body raising off the bed. Arousal pulsed through her body like a living thing, like she hadn’t just come harder than she ever had before.</p><p>“Yes,” she murmured against Kara’s lips, her voice still breathy.</p><p>“Can I try inside you?” Kara asked.</p><p>Lena’s breath caught in her throat at the mere idea, and she nodded rapidly, unable to form words. Thankfully, that was all the consent Kara required. She took Lena’s mouth with hers once again and her hand slipped lower until one finger slipped inside Lena’s wet heat.</p><p>Something wild took over Lena’s body then— at least, that’s what it felt like. Her hips bucked relentlessly against Kara’s, chasing each movement as she thrust her finger inside. After a few minutes, Kara added a second finger, and Lena cried out at the stretch, the fullness.</p><p>“Easy, baby, just relax,” Kara murmured into her neck. “Does it hurt?”</p><p>“I— Maybe?” Lena hiccoughed. “Not really.”</p><p>“Good,” Kara huffed, and resumed her motions. In and out she moved her fingers, and Lena realized she was curling them up, pressing just so, until she found a spot inside Lena that banished all thoughts of discomfort and replaced them with overwhelming need.</p><p>A desperate whine from above her pulled Lena’s mind from her own pleasure, at least enough to focus on something else. Kara was biting her lip above her, and her hips were thrusting haphazardly against Lena’s thigh as she moved her arm. Even with the bikini bottom still between them, Lena could feel the wet heat of Kara’s center against her thigh, seeking some kind of relief.</p><p>“Kara?” Lena gasped, and the blonde whined again, face tense with focus. “Kara, can I touch you?”</p><p>“P—Please,” Kara whimpered, and Lena reached down between them. She pressed her hand beneath the waistband of Kara’s bottoms and down, through rough curls and into wet heat. Her fingers, though inexperienced, fumbled until she found Kara’s clit, and she stroked the button of nerves.</p><p>“F—Fuck,” Kara huffed. “Like that, yes, but harder…”</p><p>Lena rubbed harder, and was rewarded with a loud groan and a doubling of effort on Kara’s part as she fucked her fingers into that magic spot inside Lena. When her palm curled and stroked over Lena’s still-sensitive clit.</p><p>“Yes, Kara, I’m coming, I’m coming!” Lena whined, and above her Kara began to shudder as well as her own orgasm racked her body.</p><p>——</p><p>An insistent buzzing pulled Lena back to consciousness. A warm body was pressed against her back, and a heavy arm was thrown over her midriff. She smiled to herself as Kara murmured sleepily into the back of her neck, before another round of buzzing drew her attention.</p><p>She slid out of Kara’s embrace carefully, trying not to wake the other woman. After some digging through the piles of clothes on the floor, she found her phone tucked in the pocket of her dress. She pulled it out and answered it.</p><p>“Hey, Andrea, I—“</p><p>“Lena, it’s two-thirty in the morning, let’s go!”</p><p>Lena blinked and looked at the clock on her phone. Andrea wasn’t kidding.</p><p>“Shit,” she muttered, looking around for her clothes. She dressed quickly and tried but failed to make something presentable of her hair. She cast one last look toward the bed, at the gold and blonde figure sprawled across the sheets like a starfish, before she headed downstairs.</p><p>Andrea was waiting by the door, and a cab was waiting in the street. Andrea waved goodbye to the guys who had invited them, then practically skipped to the car.</p><p>“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Lena asked.</p><p>“My best friend got laid, and she’s gonna tell me all about it,” Andrea said excitedly.</p><p>Lena groaned. “Andy…”</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Andrea sighed as they got to the car. “But just tell me this: was it good?”</p><p>Lena chewed on her lip for a moment before she sighed. “It was amazing.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. August 14, 2010</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m not saying it was a <em>bad</em> idea…”</p><p>“Here it comes!”</p><p>“I’m just saying that spending the day on a nature trail wasn’t the <em>best </em>idea.”</p><p>“It. Was. <em>Gorgeous!</em>”</p><p>“Yeah, but not all of us have thighs that can handle that kind of trek, Arias!”</p><p>“Oh my God, she’s using last names!”</p><p>Lena lowered her sunglasses and stared at her friends. “Do I need to send you two to time out?”</p><p>Andrea grumbled into her beach towel. “No, mother, we’ll be good.”</p><p>Lena grinned at her and looked over to her other side where Sam was also lounging on a beach towel.</p><p>“Ugh, fine,” Sam huffed. “But for the record, she started it.”</p><p>“She always starts it, and you always let her goad you, so I end up finishing it,” Lena told them.</p><p>“Hey, whose side are you on, anyway?” Andrea pouted.</p><p>“I’m on both sides,” Lena replied honestly. “I enjoyed the hike but my legs are killing me.”</p><p>“Well, hopefully they’re functional by tonight, because it’s <em>my turn</em> to pick the activity,” Andrea declared gleefully.</p><p>“Sweet Jesus,” Sam muttered. “And which nightclub are you dragging us to?”</p><p>“If you don’t want to go, you can stay in the hotel room,” Andrea said with a frown. “I’m not <em>dragging</em> anyone anywhere.”</p><p>“Okay, you two can stop bitching or I’m cutting this trip a day short,” Lena warned. “Seriously, I wanted to enjoy a week in California with my best friends. If I wanted to police a couple of catty bitches, I could’ve stayed in Cambridge and helped the freshmen move into campus housing.”</p><p>Sam and Andrea shot each other looks, but said nothing. Lena sat back in her beach chair with a sigh and picked up her physics textbook once again.</p><p>It had seemed like a good idea at first. She had met Samantha Arias just a few months before, when the slightly older girl got a summer internship with LuthorCorp, and they had become instant friends. She and Andrea had been tossing around the idea of returning to National City once again, so it seemed simple to invite Sam along with them. She thought her two friends would get along well, but she had been very wrong. She wasn’t even sure what the issue was, or if it was just some weird old friend versus new friend power struggle that Lena didn’t really understand. Either way, she had spent more of the last week refereeing the two women than she had spent enjoying her trip, and it was wearing on her nerves.</p><p>“Oh shit!” Andrea exclaimed suddenly, making both Lena and Sam jump. “Lena, look!”</p><p>Lena looked up and in the vague direction Andrea was pointing, toward the ocean.</p><p>“Andrea, what are you—? <em>Oh fuck!</em> You have <em>got</em> to be kidding me!”</p><p>The beach was crowded, so it had taken Lena a moment to figure out exactly what Andrea was pointing at, but then her eyes had zeroed in on two women walking along the beach, one with short auburn hair and another with long blonde hair in a ponytail, both carrying surfboards. She wouldn’t even have noticed, really, if it hadn’t been for the blonde’s black and white striped bikini— one that she was <em>intimately </em>familiar with.</p><p>“What are we looking at?” Sam asked, raising a hand to block the sun as she peered curiously in the same direction.</p><p>“What are the chances?” Andrea asked as she turned to her.</p><p>“It can’t be,” Lena muttered. She pulled down her sunglasses and squinted into the distance.</p><p>“What is it?” Sam asked again.</p><p>“Oh, I’m pretty sure it is.” Andrea’s eyes were gleaming mischievously.</p><p>“Andy, don’t do anything stupid,” Lena hissed. She knew that look.</p><p>Sam breathed an exasperated sigh. “What is going on right now?”</p><p>“Stupid like go say hi to the woman that you lost your virginity to?”</p><p>Sam sat up at that. “Holy shit!”</p><p>“Exactly,” Andrea agreed. “I’m gonna do it.”</p><p>“Don’t you dare!” Lena warned.</p><p>“Wait, is that the woman you told me about?” Sam asked.</p><p>“She told you about it?” Andrea asked.</p><p>“Yeah, when she told me about the trip you had planned, she told me about last year,” Sam replied, and then turned back to Lena. “That’s seriously the same woman?”</p><p>“Pretty sure it is,” Lena replied, keeping her voice soft.</p><p>“You should go talk to her,” Sam declared, and Andrea gave a whoop.</p><p>“Yes! I knew we had to agree on something eventually.”</p><p>Sam and Lena rolled their eyes simultaneously.</p><p>“Seriously, though, from what you told me you should definitely go talk to her,” Sam continued.</p><p>“Why?” Lena asked incredulously.</p><p>“Because it was your first time and your best lay ever and those two things rarely coincide,” Andrea interjected.</p><p>“I mean… Yeah, basically that,” Sam agreed.</p><p>“Exactly, and I know you don’t do repeats…” Andrea began.</p><p>“Wait, what?” Sam exclaimed, looking between them with shocked curiosity.</p><p>“Oh, she didn’t tell you that?” Andrea asked, and Lena glared at her. “Lena doesn’t do repeats. Or relationships. She’s a fuck ‘em and leave ‘em type.”</p><p>“You make it sound like I’m a slut,” Lena frowned.</p><p>“No, not a slut, just… a bit commitment-phobic.”</p><p>“Sounds like a <em>lot</em> commitment-phobic to me,” Sam added, looking between them with a frown. Then her expression brightened. “But this could be your chance to change that.”</p><p>“But—“</p><p> “Lena, it’s been a year, and you still talked about it like you couldn’t believe how good it was,” Sam said pointedly.</p><p>“Well, it was, but… Shit,” Lena said, looking back down the beach. The two women had propped up their surfboards and were sitting on a towel together. The blonde— <em>Kara</em>, Lena reminded herself— had her head thrown back in laughter and by God she really was as beautiful as Lena remembered, it hadn’t just been the alcohol affecting her memory.</p><p>“Go on, Lena,” Sam said, nudging her with her foot.</p><p>“What do I even say?” Lena asked. “And what if that’s her girlfriend?”</p><p>“Just start with <em>hello</em>,” Sam supplied.</p><p>“And if it ends up awkward, I promise to pay for your tab tonight so you can forget about it,” Andrea added.</p><p>“Not entirely helpful,” Lena remarked, and Andrea shrugged. Lena looked back across the sand and clenched her fists until her short nails dug into her palms, then stood up. “Okay, I’m doing this.”</p><p>“You got this,” Sam assured her as Andrea whooped again in support.</p><p>As Lena made her way toward the pair, however, she couldn’t help but rethink this decision. Anxiety swirled in her belly, growing with every step across the blistering hot sand, until she was certain that the skin bared by her bathing suit had to be trembling. She crossed her arms awkwardly across her midriff, then lowered them back down as a voice in her head that sounded scarily similar to her mother reminded her that good posture was important.</p><p>By the time she crossed the sand to the two women, she had rehearsed the word <em>hello</em> at least a hundred times in her mind, with subtle nuances from sexy to cool and every variation in between. But when she finally stood in front of the two women, casting a shadow over them, and Kara looked up at her with those blue eyes— she had almost forgotten exactly how blue they were— every thought flew out of her mind except memories of how the blonde looked suspended above her mid-orgasm.</p><p>“Can we help you?”</p><p>The sharp voice pulled Lena back into the present, and she glanced toward the woman beside Kara who had spoken. Her short auburn hair was wet and slicked back away from her face, and she stared up at Lena with dark brown eyes and a mix of curiosity and annoyance. She looked back toward Kara, whose brows were crinkled in confusion.</p><p>“Hi,” Lena said weakly. “I, um… I don’t know if you remember me…”</p><p>Suddenly Kara’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh! Le— <em>Lena?</em>”</p><p>A slight relief filled Lena’s system. Kara remembered her— and Lena hoped that that was a good thing.</p><p>“Hello,” she said again, smiling slightly.</p><p>“H—Hi,” Kara replied, a goofy smile spreading across her face. “Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?”</p><p>“I’m on vacation,” Lena replied. “My friends and I were right over there and I saw you… Thought I would come say hello.”</p><p>“Wow,” Kara breathed, tone thick with shock. She stared up at Lena for a long moment, like she still couldn’t believe that she was actually there.</p><p>The other woman cleared her throat awkwardly and bumped Kara’s shoulder with her own. Kara shook her head and turned to look at her, then back at Lena.</p><p>“Oh, um, this is my sister, Alex,” Kara told her. “Alex, this is Lena.”</p><p>“Nice to meet y— Oh holy crap!” Alex shouted, looking between the two of them. “<em>Lena</em>-Lena?”</p><p>Kara nodded rapidly, and even in the bright sunlight Lena could see her cheeks turning pink.</p><p>“I hope that reaction is a good thing,” she said.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Alex told her. “So, um, how long are you in the city?”</p><p>“We actually fly out tomorrow afternoon,” Lena told them, and she found that she regretted that fact now that she had run into Kara once again.</p><p>“We?” Alex asked.</p><p>“My friends and I,” Lena explained, gesturing toward where Sam and Andrea were peering curiously across the beach. Kara and Alex both turned to look and Andrea waved brightly, only for Sam to smack her hand down. Alex and Kara looked back around and Lena shrugged.</p><p>“They seem… interesting,” Alex commented. “I’m gonna go say hi.”</p><p>“Alex!” Kara hissed, but the redhead was already up and booking it across the hot sand. Kara looked up at Lena shyly. “Well, that’s awkward.”</p><p>“She’s not exactly subtle, your sister,” Lena commented, and Kara laughed.</p><p>“No, definitely not.” She patted the towel beside her. “Join me?”</p><p>Lena took the proffered seat, facing the ocean with her legs stretched out in front of her. She could almost feel the sun beginning to turn her skin pink, in spite of all her sunscreen, but it was easy to ignore in favor of the woman beside her. When she turned to look at her, Kara had a goofy grin on her face and a faraway look in her eyes.</p><p>“What?” Lena asked.</p><p>“Nothing,” Kara said quickly. “I just… I never expected to see you again.”</p><p>Lena’s heart did a little flip-flop. “Disappointed?”</p><p>Kara shook her head. “No, no, not at all. The, um, the opposite, actually.”</p><p>Lena smiled softly and glanced back down at her lap.</p><p>“So what have you been up to?” Kara asked. “Let me guess, you aced all your classes?”</p><p>“How did you know?” Lena exclaimed.</p><p>Kara shrugged. “You seem like the type.”</p><p>Lena smiled broadly. “Well, yes, you do have a point. And yes, I did well. I thought about taking summer classes, but instead I took a position at my family’s company for the summer.”</p><p>“Wow, anything I’ve heard of?” Kara asked.</p><p>Lena’s shoulders tensed, and it felt like the sea breeze suddenly turned colder. She hesitated for a moment, before deciding that honesty was the best policy. “Probably. My family owns LuthorCorp.”</p><p>Lena could see the realization as it dawned on Kara. One second she was nodding absentmindedly and the next she was frozen as the words actually processed in her brain and her eyes widened as she turned to look at Lena.</p><p>“LuthorCorp?” she asked. “As in…”</p><p>“As in child laborers and sweatshops in China and bribing politicians for access to raw materials and every environmental scandal you can name?” Lena nodded. “The same.”</p><p>“Okay, wow,” Kara said. “That’s… a lot.”</p><p>“That’s my family,” Lena sighed. “My father Lionel is CEO and my brother Lex is COO. My mother Lillian is on the board and she heads the medical research department— as far as I know, their only fault is charging exorbitant amounts for medicines and devices that would save peoples’ lives. I’m supposed to head the rest of the company’s R and D department when I graduate.”</p><p>“Wow,” Kara repeated. “So… no pressure.”</p><p>Lena snorted. “I’m a Luthor. Pressure is kind of part of the deal.”</p><p>Kara’s lips twisted wryly and she studied her for a moment. “Well… We don’t pick our family.”</p><p>“Oh, definitely not,” Lena agreed. “Although, for some reason, they picked me. I was adopted when I was four.”</p><p>“Get out!” Kara exclaimed excitedly. “That’s crazy! I’m adopted too!”</p><p>“Seriously?” Lena asked, and Kara nodded rapidly. This was not something people were normally excited about.</p><p>“Yeah, the Danvers adopted me when I was twelve,” Kara said, biting her lips. “My parents died in a car accident, and my aunt and uncle. My cousin tried to take care of me but he was like twenty-four and could barely take care of himself, so he talked to the Danvers and… Well, anyway, here we are. Alex is my adoptive sister, technically.”</p><p>“Oh… Wow.” Lena had never talked to anyone like Kara, someone who was so forthcoming and open. It was… refreshing, and oddly endearing.</p><p>“I know it’s depressing,” Kara added, tone dropping a bit. “It’s just… Who would’ve thought that of all the things, you and I would have <em>that</em> in common, you know?”</p><p>“Yeah, small world, I guess,” Lena agreed. Suddenly Kara started humming under her breath, and a moment later Lena recognized the tune. “No! Don’t you dare! Stop it!”</p><p>She shoved Kara playfully and the blonde laughed. “Not a fan of Disney?”</p><p>“God, anything but It’s a ‘Small World,’ please!” Lena huffed between giggles.</p><p>Kara sat back with a smirk. “Alright, then. Let’s see if we have anything in common besides being adopted, hmm? Favorite movie?”</p><p>That’s how Lena got sunburned, and that’s how Lena got to know Kara Danvers. Her favorite movie was <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>, her favorite season was Fall, her favorite color was red, her favorite animal was a dog— any dog, but especially golden retrievers— but she had a pet cat when she was younger, she had a huge sweet tooth, and she was majoring in communications and marketing at NCU.</p><p>“Communications and marketing?” Lena asked with a raised brow.</p><p>“Why does that surprise you?”</p><p>“I just assumed you were majoring in music or art or something,” Lena said with a shrug. “You seem the type.”</p><p>“You know what they say about assuming, Miss Luthor,” Kara said, sticking out her tongue.</p><p>“Well what exactly does one do with majors in communications and marketing?” Lena pressed.</p><p>Kara sat up a bit straighter and took a deep breath. “I want to be a journalist.”</p><p>“Oh, so you’re a writer,” Lena supplied.</p><p>“A little bit,” Kara replied. “But really I just want to expose the truth.”</p><p>“Should I be worried?” Lena asked teasingly.</p><p>“Nah, you’re safe for now.” Kara winked and Lena blushed. “My cousin Clark and his fiancé Lois are both journalists. They work for <em>The Daily Planet</em> in Metropolis.”</p><p>“So you’re following in your cousin’s footsteps?” Lena could relate to that, in a way.</p><p>“Sort of,” Kara said, biting her lip. “You know how I told you my parents and my aunt and uncle died in a car accident? Well, a few months later this reporter came around investigating the whole thing. Turns out there was something faulty with the axle of the car they were driving, and that’s what caused the accident. The reporter found out that there had been several accidents caused by it, and the company knew all about it and hadn’t done anything.”</p><p>“Oh,” Lena breathed. “Wow, that’s…”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara agreed. “It was too late for my family, but Lois exposed it and saved thousands of other people who had the same model car.”</p><p>“Wait, Lois? Isn’t that…?”</p><p>Kara grinned. “Yeah, Clark’s fiancé. Although at the time they had only just met and could hardly stand each other. The whole investigation really brought them together. And it made a completely different impact on me.”</p><p>“Clearly,” Lena agreed. Suddenly a shadow crossed her view and they both looked up to see two tall figures looming over them, and Lena had to squint to make out Sam and Alex’s faces in the bright sun.</p><p>“Andrea wanted me to tell you that if we don’t get a move on we’ll never get into the club tonight,” Sam told her, rolling her eyes as she spoke. She kicked a bit of sand over Lena’s feet.</p><p>Lena bit her lip and glanced from Sam to Kara. It was her last night in town with her friends, but suddenly she really didn’t want to spend it with them.</p><p>“I guess that’s your cue, huh?” Kara asked.</p><p>“Ours, too, if we want to get ready,” Alex said, pulling their attention back.</p><p>“Huh?” Kara asked.</p><p>“They invited us along,” Alex explained, casting a not-so-subtle look of interest toward Sam.</p><p>“Wh— Oh!” Kara exclaimed, looking back toward Lena. “Is that alright?”</p><p>Warmth blossomed in Lena’s chest. “That sounds great.”</p><p>Sam offered a hand and pulled Lena to her feet. “So we’ll see you two in a couple of hours, okay?”</p><p>“Can’t wait,” Alex said, looking Sam up and down in her bathing suit.</p><p>“Yeah, definitely,” Kara chimed in.</p><p>Sam grinned broadly as she tugged Lena back toward where Andrea was waiting for them. She collapsed beneath the umbrella with a sigh.</p><p>“Oh, thank God you’re back,” Andrea huffed. “Thanks to you I had to spend an hour and a half listening to this useless lesbian flirt with another equally useless lesbian.”</p><p>“Hey, I’m bi,” Sam interjected.</p><p>“Seriously?” Lena asked, and Sam nodded.</p><p>“Whatever, you’re still useless,” Andrea commented with a wave of her hand. “So, are they both coming tonight?”</p><p>“Yep,” Sam replied, popping the <em>p</em>.</p><p>“Great, just fabulous,” Andrea sighed. “Guess that makes me the fifth wheel. Which… fine, but I refuse to be the fifth wheel <em>and</em> the DD, so you two play rock-paper-scissors for that or something. On second thought, pick a different game, enough scissoring is happening tonight…”</p><p>“Andy!” Lena exclaimed.</p><p>“What? I’m the only one not getting laid, I have to make sex jokes!”</p><p>——</p><p><em>Club Apocalypse</em> was National City’s newest and most exclusive nightclub, so of course that was the place Andrea had chosen to spend their last night of vacation. As the car pulled up in front of the brick building— they had decided to hire a driver instead of trying to pick a DD— Lena peered over Andrea from her seat smooshed in the middle and surveyed the long queue waiting out front.</p><p>“You’re sure about this?” she asked, fiddling with her fake ID inside her purse.</p><p>“Lena, what have I told you?” Andrea asked. “<em>Confidence.</em>”</p><p>“Well, at least you’re old enough to get in, even if you’re not legally supposed to be drinking,” Sam sighed. “Just don’t get me kicked out.”</p><p>“Yes, Mom,” Andrea scowled. “Has your date texted you?”</p><p>“You got Alex’s number?” Lena asked.</p><p>“You didn’t get Kara’s?” Sam replied, looking down at the screen. “She says they’re waiting at the corner.”</p><p>Lena pulled out her compact and checked her makeup one last time as the car neared the corner.</p><p>“You look great, <em>chabona</em>,” Andrea told her, then her eyes lit up with mirth. “Hey, did you wear your sexy panties?”</p><p>Lena grinned back. “Did you?”</p><p>“Of course,” Andrea replied, and they burst into laughter.</p><p>“You two are ridiculous,” Sam commented, rolling her eyes. “Hey, look, there they are!”</p><p>Lena turned to look out the window and her mouth went dry. Kara was in a tight black dress with a strappy top, blonde hair loose, but even at a distance Lena could still make out the defined muscles in her back and shoulders.</p><p>“Your girl looks good,” Sam said, nudging her side.</p><p>“Yeah, well, so does yours,” Lena teased, but she wasn’t lying. Kara’s sister definitely had a harder aesthetic, with a leather jacket over a studded top, tight dark wash jeans and boots, but Lena could see the attraction if she didn’t already have eyes for the younger Danvers sister.</p><p>“Alright, we get it, you’re both thirsty hoes,” Andrea scoffed. “Let’s go!”</p><p>Andrea opened the door and they all scooted out of the vehicle and into the balmy California night air. Lena fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt before Sam grabbed her hand away.</p><p>“You look good, stop fussing,” she warned as they walked toward the waiting pair.</p><p>If the look on Kara’s face was any indication, as she gave Lena a once-over, Sam was correct.</p><p>“Hi,” Lena greeted with a grin.</p><p>“Hi,” Kara replied. “Lena, you look… wow…”</p><p>“I could say the same for you,” Lena told her, eyes raking over her muscular shoulders.</p><p>“Okay, let’s head inside before all of you spontaneously combust on the sidewalk,” Andrea sighed, herding them along.</p><p>“Yes, mom,” Sam teased as they headed toward the door.</p><p>Andrea had made sure to call ahead and pay a pretty penny to get them in without a wait, and the hulking bouncers barely glanced at their IDs before ushering them inside.</p><p>Kara leaned close to Lena’s ear. “Are you even old enough to drink?”</p><p>Lena grinned mischievously. “No, but there are some perks to being a Luthor.”</p><p>Kara just shook her head, but she said nothing as they all found a booth and drinks were ordered.</p><p>“This music is so loud!” Alex shouted over the thumping bass.</p><p>“It’s a nice place, though,” Sam commented.</p><p>It was a nice club, with tall leather booths and a dark stone bar to one side. A DJ was set up on a small stage opposite the bar. The rest of the space was dominated by a packed dance floor, lit up by white strobe lights.</p><p>“How long have you all been friends?” Kara asked, looking between them.</p><p>“Well, Lena and I just met a few months ago, and she introduced me to Andrea when we arrived at the airport last week,” Sam replied.</p><p>“But Lena and I have been friends for forever,” Andrea interjected.</p><p>“Three and a half years,” Lena corrected.</p><p>“Same thing,” Andrea argued, and Lena rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Oh, so you can tell us all the embarrassing stories,” Kara said mischievously.</p><p>“No, <em>no</em> she cannot,” Lena warned. “Because she knows if she gives away my secrets, I will give away hers, and trust me when I say, hers are a lot more embarrassing than mine.”</p><p>Andrea bit her lip. “Sadly she has a point.”</p><p>“Darn it,” Kara grinned. “Figures you would be the goody-two-shoes of the bunch.”</p><p>Andrea snorted. “Hardly… <em>Ouch!</em>”</p><p>Lena smirked and returned her foot to where it had been prior to kicking her friend. Their drinks arrived and Andrea quickly downed two shots of tequila, much to Lena’s chagrin and Alex and Sam’s open admiration.</p><p>“Alright, <em>chabonas</em>, I’m going to dance,” Andrea announced as she stood, shaking her hips for emphasis. “Who’s joining me?”</p><p>“We’ll be out there in a minute,” Sam replied, looking at Alex, who shrugged in agreement.</p><p>“Us, too,” Kara said, and Andrea snorted with laughter. Kara looked at Lena. “What?”</p><p>“I don’t dance,” Lena told her shyly.</p><p>“Will not or cannot?” Kara asked.</p><p>“Both,” Lena and Andrea said simultaneously.</p><p>“Hmm.” Kara hummed low in her throat as she looked Lena up and down, as if there was some visible indication of her inability to dance. “We’ll see about that. Drink up.”</p><p>“Why?” Lena asked suspiciously. “Is alcohol supposed to make me a better dancer?”</p><p>“No, but in my experience, it’ll certainly make you think that you are,” Kara told her.</p><p>Lena took several sips of her drink as Andrea rolled her eyes and headed toward the dance floor. A few minutes later, Alex finished her whiskey sour and offered her hand to Sam, who quickly gulped the remains of her cosmo before following her.</p><p>“So, let me guess, you can dance as well as you sing?” Lena asked once they were all gone.</p><p>Kara laughed, a free, throaty sound that warmed Lena even more than the liquor in her drink. “No, not at all. I have a friend named Lucy who’s a professional dancer, and she makes fun of my dancing all the time.”</p><p>“And you still want to dance with me?” Lena asked.</p><p>“Well, yeah,” Kara replied over her ridiculous fruity drink that had to be more sugar than alcohol. “Who wouldn’t want to dance with you?”</p><p>Lena wanted to tell her that she was pretty sure most people wouldn’t, especially when they knew her last name and the family she came from. But she couldn’t find it in herself to break the blissful bubble that seemed to constantly surround the blonde.</p><p>“You may regret that, Kara Danvers,” she said instead, raising a brow.</p><p>Kara shrugged. “I doubt it.”</p><p>A few minutes later, once Lena’s glass was empty, she had the chance to find out. Kara stood and offered her hand, and Lena could only roll her eyes as she followed her to the dance floor. They weaved through the mass of writhing bodies until they were close to where Alex and Sam were dancing, and Lena could see Andrea a few feet away dancing from one guy to another. As the music switched to some kind of electronic beat, Kara unleashed a flurry of random dance moves, if they could be called that. Lena recognized something resembling the robot, with an occasional shimmy and hip shake thrown in for good measure. She stood there awkwardly until Kara grabbed her hips and twisted them for her, leading her in an awkward twist until she was almost bent over double laughing.</p><p>“You’re such a dork,” she shouted into Kara’s ear, above the music.</p><p>“Yeah, but you love it,” Kara replied with a wink.</p><p>Lena’s breath caught in her throat. Her hands were on Kara’s bare shoulders, and her fingers reflexively dug into the skin and muscles below. Kara flexed slightly in response, and Lena had to bite her lip to stifle the moan that rose up in her throat.</p><p>The music shifted, changing from electronic pop to a song with a throbbing bass beat. Before Lena could think, Kara’s hands slid to her hips and pulled them close to her own.</p><p>“Trust me?” Kara asked, and Lena nodded, unable to speak as her breath evacuated her lungs.</p><p>Within ten seconds Lena had determined one thing: Kara Danvers was a liar. She moved to the music with deadly precision, hips undulating to the beat, rolling and grinding as her body swayed. She led Lena’s body as well, pulling her close, until Lena couldn’t help but move in tandem. Kara turned until her back was toward Lena and ground her ass back for several beats before turning them both and reversing their positions. Her hands dipped to Lena’s hips, pulling her ass back against her as one leg slotted between Lena’s and the pressure of her thigh hit the seam of Lena’s pants just right until—</p><p>Lena broke away with a gasp, turning again in Kara’s arms until they were facing each other. The mass of bodies around them pushed in until they were flush, and all Lena could do was look up into dark eyes, pupils dilated until there was only a hint of blue iris visible in the flashing light.</p><p>“We should go,” Lena stated simply. “Do you wanna go?”</p><p>They hadn’t even been in the club for that long, but Lena didn’t care. Ever since she had seen Kara across the beach earlier that day, there had only been one possible outcome for the night, and she saw no point in beating around the bush or postponing it any further.</p><p>Thankfully, Kara seemed to agree. She nodded and stepped away, to shout something to her sister. Sam looked up from her own dancing and shot Lena a thumbs up, and Lena rolled her eyes in response. A moment later Kara was back at her side, one arm wrapped firmly around her waist.</p><p>“You ready?” she asked, bending close. Her breath ghosted warm over the shell of Lena’s ear.</p><p>“Definitely,” Lena replied as goosebumps rose on her skin.</p><p>Kara grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd and toward the door. Once they were outside, Kara pulled her close and nuzzled into her neck.</p><p>“Where to now?” she asked, lips playing over Lena’s skin.</p><p>“Just let me text the car,” Lena told her, pulling her cell phone from her pocket and sending off the brief message. The reply back came almost instantaneously, much to Lena’s relief. “He should be back in a couple of minutes.”</p><p>Kara hummed low in her throat. “What should we do until he gets here?”</p><p>Lena glanced around quickly and, once she was sure there was no one around to see, pushed Kara back toward the building. As soon as the blonde’s back hit the brick, she leaned in to kiss her, breathing in the balmy summer air and Kara’s floral perfume, but before their lips touched, Kara had spun them around and pinned Lena to the wall.</p><p>“Sorry, bare shoulders and brick walls don’t mix,” Kara muttered, and Lena barely had time to nod in understanding before Kara’s lips were on hers.</p><p>A year had passed since the first time Lena had kissed Kara, and yet somehow their lips seemed to know exactly how to fit together perfectly, how to mold until there was barely enough space for breath. Lena reached up and dug her fingers into Kara’s bare shoulders as they kissed, before trailing her hands down lower, ghosting over the rise of both breasts, over her stomach where she could feel the bunching of her abdominal muscles through the knit material of her dress, until her hands were on Kara’s hips, and then she tugged. Kara stumbled forward, just a bit further, until their bodies were completely flush. It was glorious.</p><p>A light honk and the flash of headlights reluctantly drew Lena’s attention away from the task at hand. She pulled her head back, almost bumping it against the brick wall behind her, but she couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to Kara’s jaw before she spoke.</p><p>“That’s our ride,” she said, and the breathiness of her voice surprised her. Mere kisses didn’t usually knock her for a loop anymore.</p><p>“Hmm,” Kara hummed deep in her throat, and the vibrations seemed to buzz through her body and into Lena’s. “Guess we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”</p><p>The ride back to the hotel was shockingly tame. Lena sat on one side of the backseat, and Kara sat opposite her, the middle seat a charged divide that they both avoided like an electric fence. The air between them, however, was thick with anticipation, and Lena noticed every little movement Kara made, from the way she smoothed down the hem of her dress, the way her hand gripped tightly around the seatbelt, and the way she clenched her thighs together when she noticed Lena watching her.</p><p>When they pulled up in front of the hotel, Kara peered out her window and whistled softly.</p><p>“Oh, stop,” Lena chided, crossing the divide between them to playfully shove the blonde’s knee.</p><p>“It’s a nice place,” Kara said nonchalantly, but she was clearly impressed. For the first time, Lena was thankful for the Luthor fortune, if it meant she could afford things that would impress Kara.</p><p>Once Lena tipped the driver, Kara took her hand and pulled her into the hotel, through the lobby, toward the elevator bank that was clearly visible against the back wall. Lena pressed the button for her floor, and then she was in Kara’s arms, her back against the blonde’s front, and Kara was breathing heavily into her ear.</p><p>“I like these,” she said, nuzzling Lena’s ear and the multiple piercings she had there. “You didn’t have them last time.”</p><p>“A lot has changed since last time,” Lena replied, turning around in her arms. She pushed Kara against the wall of the elevator as it climbed, and pressed open-mouthed kisses down her neck, nipping and sucking at the skin all the way down to her collar. She skimmed over the black fabric until her lips pressed a chaste kiss against a muscular, tan shoulder.</p><p>“I assume you like my shoulders?” Kara asked playfully.</p><p>“You assume correctly.” The elevator dinged and Lena looked up at her. “Shall we?”</p><p>“Lead the way.”</p><p>This time it was Lena dragging Kara by the hand, down the long hallway to the suite. She unlocked the door quickly and they both slipped inside. The bright light from the hallway pierced through around the edges of the door, casting a strange dim light on the entry of the hotel suite and clashing with the pale light that streamed in through the windows opposite them. It made Kara’s hair look like a shimmering mix of silver and gold that Lena couldn’t help but run her fingers through.</p><p>“Beautiful,” she breathed just as her reverent touch turned rough and she used a handful of hair to pull Kara’s face down into a kiss.</p><p>It was hot, even hotter than their kiss outside the club, the heat of their bodies rising against the chilly air from the industrial air conditioner unit that cooled the room. The taste of alcohol had melted from their tongues, leaving something more natural and primal that sent Lena’s blood boiling for more. She shoved Kara roughly against the wall, and this time she didn’t let her push back, knowing that the smooth surface wouldn’t injure those wonderful shoulders that she liked so much. Her hands wandered wildly from Kara’s hair, down her neck and over those shoulders, to her chest where she gave rough attention to the blonde’s perfect breasts through the fabric of her dress, down the expanse of her stomach and the clenching abdominal muscles. She squeezed Kara’s hips and then one hand reached down further, skimming along a muscular golden thigh, while the other rucked up the loose skirt.</p><p>Kara groaned into Lena’s mouth, her own arms wrapped securely around Lena’s shoulders. She pulled back slightly, though she couldn’t go too far without bumping her head against the wall, and looked at Lena assessingly.</p><p>“What?” Lena asked curiously, hands stilling with Kara’s skirt halfway up her thighs.</p><p>“Nothing,” Kara replied, pressing a kiss to the corner of Lena’s lips. “Just a little surprised. I didn’t expect you to be so take charge, that’s all.”</p><p>“Well, I told you things had changed since last time,” Lena said with a grin, but then insecurity flickered through her mind. “Do you mind?”</p><p>“No, definitely not,” Kara told her, kissing lightly along Lena’s jaw. “Whatever you want to do, I’m up for it.”</p><p>“Good,” Lena said darkly, leaning in until her lips were right beside Kara’s ear. “Because I want to taste you.”</p><p>Kara groaned loudly, and Lena wasn’t sure if it was because of her words or because she chose that moment to suck hard against the column of the blonde’s neck, enough to leave a mark that would ensure that Kara was reminded of her for days after she was gone. The sound sent a flood of heat straight down between Lena’s legs, but she ignored it in favor of pulling even more sounds from the blonde in front of her. She kissed her once more on the mouth, firmly and deeply, before pulling away and dropping to her knees.</p><p>“Here?” Kara asked breathlessly. Lena didn’t answer, just pushed up the skirt of Kara’s dress and tugged down her panties. As they dropped to the floor, Kara looked to the ceiling and muttered a string of curses.</p><p>“Look at me,” Lena commanded, and she felt a surge of power and arousal when Kara looked down at her with blue eyes turned silver in the moonlight.</p><p>Lena spread Kara with her thumbs, and the skin shimmered with wetness. Kara let out a whimper as she leaned forward, and then a shout when Lena licked a broad stripe from her entrance all the way to her clit. Kara tasted salty-sweet, and she was wonderfully responsive. As Lena used her tongue to map out every surface of her sex, Kara made all sorts of pleasured sounds, some coherent and some not, and Lena set her mind to finding the spots that drew the most delicious sounds from the other woman. A long, broad swipe over her clit made Kara whimper, while quick flicks made her keen high in her throat. And when Lena closed her lips around the small bundle of nerves and began to suck…</p><p>“Oh, <em>fuck</em>, Lena,” Kara cried, reaching down and digging her fingers into Lena’s hair, loosening her tight ponytail. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, <em>don’t st— ah!</em>”</p><p>Kara’s fingers tugged painfully at Lena’s hair as her hips ground into her face. Lena could feel her cum coating her chin as the muscles of her pussy rippled against her.</p><p>“Okay,” Kara muttered breathlessly above her as Lena licked her lightly through the aftershocks. “Okay… wow…”</p><p>Lena chuckled as she pulled away, leaving Kara to lean against the wall for support. “You sure you’re okay?”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Kara hummed. She reached blindly for Lena and managed to hook her fingertips in the shoulder of her blouse, then tugged up. Lena went willingly, leaning against the limp blonde affectionately. Kara kissed her and groaned, clearly able to taste herself on Lena’s lips, and deepened the kiss. Her hands skimmed around to Lena’s backside and she squeezed before pulling back and catching Lena’s eyes. “Bed.”</p><p>The short journey to Lena’s room in the suite was made more difficult by grabby hands and shedding clothing, but by the time they reached the hotel bed, they were both naked, pressed against each other skin-to-skin as hungry mouths and greedy hands explored and claimed inches of bare flesh. Finally the backs of Lena’s knees hit the side of the bed and she pulled away from Kara’s lips long enough to pull down the covers, scoot herself up onto the bed, and lie back. Kara’s eyes raked over her from head to toe before the blonde climbed over her. She kissed her once on the lips again before trailing her lips down, over her jaw, and down her neck.</p><p>“My turn,” Kara whispered as she went even lower, kissing and nipping at Lena’s breasts briefly before scooting down further.</p><p>“You don’t have to,” Lena said, sucking in her stomach as Kara kissed the soft skin there. Her legs stayed firmly clasped together, even as Kara tried to position herself.</p><p>Kara looked up at her sharply. “But what if I want to?”</p><p>Lena bit her lip as she looked down at the blonde, and then her knees parted. “Okay.”</p><p>Kara smiled brilliantly, then dipped her head again. She kissed lower and lower, until her lips ghosted over the edge of the curling dark hairs at the apex of Lena’s thighs. Lena tensed, anticipating her next move, but instead she felt lips on the inside of her thighs. Kara kissed up and down her thighs, all the way to her knees and back up, then down again, until Lena was shivering with excitement rather than anxiety.</p><p>“<em>Kara, please,</em>” she whimpered, as a warm tongue laved against the side of her knee.</p><p>“Yes, baby, anything you want,” Kara assured her, before raising herself up and moving where Lena needed her.</p><p>At the first touch of Kara’s tongue against her sex, Lena gasped and tensed again, but as Kara continued her slow, patient ministrations, Lena relaxed, becoming a mass of pure desire. Her hips ground up shamelessly into Kara’s mouth, seeking more pressure, which Kara happily gave her, and her hands fisted in the sheets to either side of her.</p><p>“God, that feels so good,” Lena muttered, then whimpered as Kara slid her tongue into her core, thrusting deeper and deeper into her heat. Lena could feel her body coiling, slowly but surely, sensation becoming tighter and tighter with every stroke of Kara’s tongue into her, and yet it wasn’t quite enough. “Fuck, Kara, please… I need more.”</p><p>Kara pulled back for a moment. “Touch your breasts for me.”</p><p>Lena stilled. “What?”</p><p>“Pretend it’s me,” Kara told her, realizing this was new for her, “and touch yourself, your breasts. Cup them, like I would.”</p><p>Lena did as she was told, cupping her breasts in her hands. Kara looked up at her with a hungry expression.</p><p>“Good, now squeeze, but not too hard,” Kara instructed, and Lena obliged. She moaned at the sensation, beginning to understand what Kara was saying, but she wasn’t done yes. “Now, play with your nipples for me. Stroke them, pinch them, whatever feels good.”</p><p>Lena cried out as she squeezed her breast again, but this time she caught one nipple between her fingers and squeezed. The sensation zipped straight down between her legs, and she bucked her hips toward Kara’s face. The blonde grinned up at her.</p><p>“Good, just keep doing that for me,” Kara told her, and she lowered her face and resumed fucking Lena with her tongue.</p><p>“Oh, fuck, Kara,” Lena shouted as her hips began bucking in earnest. Kara’s hands moved to hold her steady, but the sensations were too much. Lena squeezed and tugged roughly at her own breasts as she chased her release, but it was altogether too much and yet not quite enough. She huffed out a frustrated whine as she struggled and sweat broke out all over her body.</p><p>“Let go, baby,” Kara muttered. Then she moved her hand and pressed sloppy circles over Lena’s clit even as her tongue stroked deep inside of her, and in an instant Lena was gone.</p><p>Her mind went white as pleasure blazed through her body like wildfire. Lena let out a sound somewhere between a scream and a gasp as her body clenched around Kara’s tongue and every muscle in her body went taut before relaxing again and melting into a boneless heap against the sheets.</p><p>Then Kara was hovering above her on muscular arms and looking down at her with a blazing, hungry expression.</p><p>“Can you go again?” she asked, and suddenly it was like Lena hadn’t just come on Kara’s tongue, her body once again hungry for the pleasure she knew Kara could give her.</p><p>“Yes, God, <em>fuck yes</em>,” Lena huffed, arching up off the bed to kiss Kara’s lips. She tasted— fuck, Lena could taste herself on Kara’s lips, and it sent another flare of arousal down her spine.</p><p>Kara braced herself on one hand and reached down with the other, seeking between Lena’s legs. She easily sank two fingers into her waiting heat, and Lena cried out at the sensation.</p><p>“You feel so good,” Kara praised as she began moving her fingers, curving them into Lena’s g-spot with every stroke.</p><p>Lena whined as her hips moved in tandem with Kara’s hand, bending her knees and bracing for more leverage. It brought her leg up between Kara’s, her thigh against the blonde’s wetness, and at the first impact of Lena’s skin against her sensitive mound, Kara froze and a ragged groan escaped her lips.</p><p>“Lena…” she murmured, hips bucking until she found the right angle. Lena braced her leg firmly as she felt Kara’s clit dragging against her skin, and she reached down to grasp at the soft skin of Kara’s hips.</p><p>“Take what you need,” she instructed. “But keep fucking me, please.”</p><p>Kara nodded, blonde hair falling in a halo around her face. She shook it aside and dipped her head for a kiss as she resumed all of her motions— hips jerking against Lena’s thigh while her fingers fucked into Lena’s cunt.</p><p>“Fuck, you’re so wet,” Kara groaned. “I bet I can get a third in…”</p><p>Lena gasped at the idea and clenched around Kara’s fingers.</p><p>“Is that okay?” Kara asked breathlessly. “Can I try?”</p><p>“Yes, please, <em>God</em>,” Lena moaned. But when Kara pulled her fingers free, Lena’s hips chased them as she whimpered in protest.</p><p>“Easy,” Kara murmured against her jaw, pressing hot, wet kisses against the skin. “I’m not going anywhere.” She slid three long, thick fingers through Lena’s folds, gathering her wetness. “Gonna fill you up so good.”</p><p>Kara pressed in slowly, but even so it was almost too much. Lena whimpered and keened at the stretch, but then Kara flicked her thumb over Lena’s clit and wetness flooded out of her, coating Kara’s fingers until they could slide inside. Lena bucked up into the fullness, and her movement sent her thigh hard into Kara’s clit.</p><p>Kara cursed into her neck, and then she began fucking Lena in earnest. Her hips, bucking into Lena’s thigh in pursuit of her own pleasure, actually aided in each thrust of her hand, pushing her fingers even deeper into Lena’s cunt until Lena wasn’t sure where she ended and Kara began. All she knew was the stretch of Kara’s fingers inside her, Kara’s wet heat against her leg, and the fast-approaching climax she was striving for.</p><p>“Lena,” Kara huffed rapidly beside her ear. “S’ close… Want to… come… Want to come with you.”</p><p>Kara shifted her hand until her palm slid over Lena’s clit with every harsh thrust, and the movement was echoed inside when her fingertips curled into Lena’s g-spot just so. Kara grunted into her ear with each motion, each sound getting shorter and tighter as her hips began to stutter against Lena’s leg. Then, suddenly, Kara went stiff above her, and a low guttural moan escaped her throat as her muscles clenched against Lena’s thigh.</p><p>The sight alone pushed Lena over the edge— it had to be, because Kara’s entire body had gone still, her fingers barely twitching where they were buried in Lena’s cunt, but still it was enough. Kara coming on her thigh was enough to push her headfirst into oblivion. A sharp scream pierced her consciousness only for her to realize that it was her own voice, and her hips bucked against Kara’s still hand, dragging out the pleasure her muscles squeezed around Kara’s fingers in release. </p><p>Kara collapsed over her, not holding even a bit of her weight as she continued to shake with release. Her fingers eased gently from Lena’s heat, sending aftershocks through Lena’s body, but other than that the blonde seemed to have no control over her body. Lena smiled into the sweaty shoulder above her and moved for them, gently rolling until they were side by side, still twisted in one another’s embrace. Slowly but surely their breathing began to even out, and Lena could feel her thudding heart returning to its normal rhythm.</p><p>Lena traced spiraling patterns over the golden skin of Kara’s chest and goosebumps rose, though she wasn’t sure if it was from her touch or the cool air coming from the air conditioning unit. Either way, she reached for the covers and pulled them over the two of them, making sure that Kara was tucked in beside her before returning to her embrace.</p><p>“Do you want me to go?” Kara asked, blue eyes uncertain.</p><p>“No,” Lena replied quickly, easily, almost surprising herself. “Unless you have somewhere to be.”</p><p>“No, no, I don’t,” Kara said. She moved a bit, adjusting her position until she was lying on her back. She reached for Lena and tugged her closer, until Lena’s leg was tossed over hers and Lena’s head could rest on her shoulder. “Is this okay?”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Lena mumbled, pressing a kiss to the shoulder beneath her head.</p><p>Kara sighed contentedly, and for several long minutes they lay silently in the dark. Lena wondered briefly if Kara had fallen asleep.</p><p>“Lena?” Kara whispered in the dark.</p><p>“Yeah?” she mumbled sleepily.</p><p>“How long are you in National City again?”</p><p>Lena’s heart dropped. “Our flight leaves tomorrow at two.”</p><p>Silence. Then a disappointed, “Oh.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Lena replied, the disappointment thick in her own voice.</p><p>“Are you sure you don’t want me to leave?” Kara asked, and Lena wrapped her arms tighter around the blonde’s middle.</p><p>“Positive,” Lena told her. “Unless you don’t want to stay?”</p><p>“No, I want to stay,” Kara replied. She pressed a kiss to Lena’s forehead. “Goodnight, Lena.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Kara.”</p><p>——</p><p>“Lena? Lena, wake up, we need to head to the airport.”</p><p>Lena groaned and stretched, reaching across the bed and finding nothing but empty sheets. She opened her eyes blearily to find Sam standing above her, holding a bottle of water in one hand and a bottle of aspirin in the other.</p><p>“C’mon, Sleeping Beauty, rise and shine,” Andrea shouted from outside the doorway.</p><p>“What time is it?” Lena asked, pushing herself up but holding the sheet to her naked chest.</p><p>“Almost eleven,” Sam replied. “I let you sleep as long as I could, but we’ve got to head to the airport soon. Here, hydrate and medicate and then go take a shower.”</p><p>Lena accepted the water and the aspirin, then looked around. “Where’s Kara?”</p><p>Sam smiled softly. “She left a couple of hours ago, when I got here. She even picked up your clothes and everything.”</p><p>Part of Lena wanted to focus on the fact that Sam had just come in a couple of hours earlier, but a bigger part of her was disappointed that Kara was gone. That fact must’ve shown on her face as she downed two aspirin and guzzled half a bottle of water, because Sam grinned and reached for something on the bedside table.</p><p>“She also left this.”</p><p>Lena’s brow furrowed as Sam waved a paper in her face. She grabbed it with her free hand and squinted at the writing. A grin spread across her face as she deciphered the phone number, and she clenched the paper to her chest.</p><p>Sam chuckled. “So I take it you’re going to call her?”</p><p>Lena looked back down at the paper as her heart started pounding in her chest. “Maybe.”</p><p>Sam rolled her eyes. “Maybe. Yeah, right.”</p><p>Lena stuck her tongue out and Sam just laughed at her. Lena grabbed her phone and quickly entered Kara’s number into her contacts. Then she looked up and fixed Sam with a curious expression.</p><p>“So… You and Alex Danvers…”</p><p>“<em>Leeeeenaaaa!</em>”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. August 12, 2011</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Pineapple on pizza is amazing and I will fight you on this.”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes and took another sip of her wine. “I’m not fighting you over pizza toppings. You just keep your pineapple pizza away over there and I’ll enjoy my margarita pizza over here and we can avoid violence.”</p><p>“Hmm, deal,” Kara replied, pulling another slice from the box. After six days of sharing almost every meal together, Lena still had no idea where Kara put it all, and she was almost convinced that Kara had some kind of alien metabolism, but whatever it was Lena wasn’t complaining if it allowed the blonde to have the muscular physique that Lena so enjoyed.</p><p>Lena leaned back against the pillows on Kara’s bed and took another sip of her wine, drinking in the sight in front of her. Kara sat at the foot of the bed, dressed only in a tank top and boy shorts, her long hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. The evening sun cast the room in a bronze light that made the muscles of her back and shoulders stand out even more, and Lena was struck with the sudden urge to write her name there between the other woman’s shoulder blades. Lena, on the other hand, was completely naked beneath the white sheet she had twisted around her body, as she had been for much of the last week.</p><p>The first time she texted Kara was two days after she arrived back in Cambridge. A simple <em>Hi</em> had led to three hundred and fifty-six days of texts and phone calls, and even an occasional Skype session. As August had drawn closer and Lena’s summer internship at LuthorCorp had wound down, the topic of what had become Lena’s annual trip to National City had arisen. Andrea and Sam were too busy doing their own things to accompany her this year, which meant that the only real reason she had to go was Kara— and that was definitely reason enough.</p><p>When Kara had picked her up from the airport, in spite of Lena repeatedly telling her that she could have a car take her to her hotel, Lena had known she had made the right decision to come. And when she hadn’t spent a single night in her hotel, instead staying in Kara’s apartment, well, that had just been icing on the cake. If she hadn’t been enjoying herself so much, Lena might’ve looked into it more deeply; she always avoided staying overnight with her partners, never spent much more than a day with them. Kara, though, had always been an outlier, different than anything and anyone else in Lena’s life.</p><p>They had spent days on the beach— Kara had even attempted to teach Lena how to surf one day with little success— a rainy afternoon at the National City Zoo and Aquarium, one evening at a nightclub, another at an outdoor concert near NCU. Today, the last full day of Lena’s visit, they hadn’t even left Kara’s apartment. They had opened the wide windows until Lena swore she could hear the waves in the distance, and even several blocks away the salt air scent invaded the studio, warring with the lilac and vanilla candles that Kara had sitting around the apartment. Since showering that morning, neither of them had deigned to put clothes on for very long, only long enough to answer the door and pay for takeout from a local deli for lunch and pizza for dinner. Not that either of them needed clothes for what they were doing.</p><p>“I wanna try something.”</p><p>The pizza was long since finished, along with most of the bottle of wine. Lena was stretched out on her stomach in bed, the sheets down around her hips, and Kara was sitting above her, tracing lines between the freckles on her back.</p><p>“Something as in food or sex?” Lena asked, looking up with hooded eyes.</p><p>“Something as in sex,” Kara replied and blushed. Lena chuckled at her, but she honestly found it endearing that even after everything they had shared this week, Kara still blushed whenever she actually talked about sex.</p><p>Lena rolled over, and she could practically feel the heat of Kara’s eyes on her chest as she did so. “Well, I’m game for whatever you’d like to try, darling, don’t be shy.”</p><p>She expected Kara to kiss her. Perhaps even talk more, and tell Lena exactly what she had in mind, but the chances of that were slim considering how tongue-tied the blonde usually became when talking about sex— for someone who worked with words, Kara was much better at <em>doing</em> than saying, but she was so considerate that Lena didn’t really mind. What Lena didn’t expect was for Kara to bound out of bed and into her closet and begin rummaging around on the shelves. Lena rolled back over onto her stomach and squinted in the dim evening light.</p><p>“Kara?” she called curiously, just before the blonde re-emerged carrying a heap of leather and a plastic package.</p><p>“I, um, I got this a few months ago,” she explained as she dropped the items on the edge of the bed. “My friend Lucy dragged me into a sex shop on a dare, right after graduation, and I saw it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. So one day I went back and bought it.”</p><p><em>It</em>, as it turned out, was a soft-looking leather harness and a decent-sized silicone dildo, still in the packaging. Lena’s eyes widened as she took it in, and then she took the dildo from Kara’s hands. She removed the plastic and ran her hands over the shimmering blue silicone, circling her fingers around the girth of it and feeling its weight.</p><p>“So… Am I fucking you with this or…?” She let her voice trail off as Kara answered her with an <em>Are you kidding me?</em> expression so clear that there was no need for her to answer out loud. Lena just rolled her eyes in response as she leaned back against the pillows.</p><p>She wasn’t normally such a bottom— something she had told Kara earlier that week only to be met with such boisterous laughter that she had threatened to go back to her hotel, only for Kara to change her mind by eating her out until she couldn’t walk. But really, she wasn’t— a switch, maybe, but not a bottom. No matter her partner’s gender, she usually preferred to be the one in charge, the one controlling the pleasure. She knew it was the control freak in her, and if she was less mortified by the idea she might actually talk to her therapist about it, but she had a hard time even letting go with a partner, to allow them to bring her to orgasm, to throw off her barely-held sense of control.</p><p>But with Kara… Well, ever since the very first night, she’d been handing over control to the beautiful blonde, and Kara had always held that trust with utmost care and respect. So Lena didn’t hesitate to lean back against the pillows and watch as Kara stripped off her clothes, stepped into the harness, and tightened the straps around her hips. She had to fight the urge to giggle at the sight of the blue cock protruding from Kara’s torso. It didn’t help that Kara was explaining everything like some kind of cheesy used-car salesman.</p><p>“It’s got these ridges that are supposed to feel <em>amazing</em>,” Kara told her, running a finger up one side of the dildo. “And the base has this saddle for me to— <em>are you laughing at me?</em>”</p><p>Lena’s laughter burst out of her like an erupting geyser, wild and a bit unhinged, and so hard that her stomach ached with it. She curled up on herself, tugging at Kara’s bedsheets as she did, clutching at her middle. Then Kara yanked the bedsheet off of her and Lena squealed as the cooler air hit her exposed skin.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, you won’t be laughing in a minute,” Kara said as she crawled up the bed and over Lena’s body. She grabbed Lena’s hands and pinned them to the bed on either side of her head, and the brunette’s laughter immediately ceased.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Lena told her, her voice raspy with both laughter and arousal, a combination that only Kara could bring out simultaneously.</p><p>“Don’t make me tie you to the bed,” Kara teased. “Unless you’re into that?”</p><p>Lena chuckled and pulled a hand free to smooth blonde locks out of Kara’s face. “Maybe some other time.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes dilated almost black at the suggestion and she moaned as she dipped her head and captured Lena’s mouth in a kiss.</p><p>Lena’s response to Kara’s kisses was practically Pavlovian, but instead of drooling, moisture dripped from an entirely different part of her body. And when the toy between them dragged against Lena’s clit, well, any residual laughter was replaced with a moan.</p><p>The moans turned to whimpers when Kara pulled away, reaching for the nightstand and leaving Lena bereft.</p><p>“Shh, I’m just getting some lube,” Kara muttered as she opened the drawer.</p><p>“Unnecessary,” Lena told her, reaching down to run her fingers through her own wetness. She brought them back up to face level and separated them, showing Kara the thick shining thread between her pointer and middle finger.</p><p>Kara made a sound like a growl in her throat, but she still found the bottle of lube and drizzled it generously over the silicone.</p><p>“Don’t wanna hurt you,” she grunted as she spread the shining liquid, each motion driving the seat of the toy into her own sex. “God, this is gonna feel so good.”</p><p>“Then what are you waiting for?” Lena asked in a voice that she attempted to make seductive but really only sounded desperate. Either way, the effect was the same.</p><p>Kara returned to her position between Lena’s thighs faster than she could blink, one hand supporting her weight and the other between them, guiding the toy toward Lena’s folds. She swirled the tip up and down, putting pressure on Lena’s clit with each pass until her hips bucked up in an attempt to get her inside where she wanted, but Kara wouldn’t give in.</p><p>“<em>Kara!</em>” Lena whined, as the tip of the toy finally found purchase against her entrance.</p><p>Kara leaned over her, a smirk on her face.</p><p>“I told you, you wouldn’t be laughing.”</p><p>And then her hips thrust forward and she buried half the toy’s length inside Lena’s waiting cunt.</p><p>“<em>Fuck!</em>” Lena shouted, eyes wide and mouth agape as her body fought to adjust to the sudden intrusion. She knew the dildo was big, bigger than anything she had taken in a while, or perhaps ever, but she hadn’t really expected how good the stretch would actually feel. The desperation for the fullness, the pressure, the promise of pleasure made her body quiver with anticipation, and when she looked up into Kara’s eyes and saw huge black pupils with barely a hint of cerulean iris around them, she knew Kara felt the desperation too.</p><p>“Did I hurt you?” Kara asked, her own desire overcome with need to take care of Lena, to make sure that she was alright. And that right there just made Lena want her even more, perhaps even more than want.</p><p>But instead of saying that, Lena reached up and wrapped her arms tight around Kara’s neck and whispered low in her ear.</p><p>“More.”</p><p>Kara’s jaw flexed with determination and she nodded before drawing her hips back and then pushing forward, driving the strap even further inside. Lena groaned and dug her fingers into Kara’s shoulders, holding on as she inched further and further inside, until their hips were flush and Lena could feel the supple leather of the harness pressed against her mound. Her own moan of pleasure was echoed as the base of the toy pressed against Kara’s clit.</p><p>“So good,” Kara muttered, checking in once more. “You?”</p><p>“Yes, yes,” Lena huffed breathlessly. She was full, <em>so full</em>, and so close to Kara that she almost didn’t want to let her go— <em>almost</em>. She looked up and straight into Kara’s eyes, making sure the blonde didn’t miss her next words.</p><p>“Don’t hold back.”</p><p>The hunger in Kara’s eyes was like a roaring inferno as she pulled her hips back only to slam forward once again. Her movements were shaky at first, and she whined in desperation above Lena as she strove to figure out the perfect motion to feel her own pleasure from the toy and please Lena as well. Thankfully, the two things seemed to happen simultaneously, as with one deep stroke followed by a roll of her hips, Kara groaned out and Lena practically shouted as the toy struck against her g-spot. Kara looked down at Lena with wide, pleasantly surprised eyes.</p><p>“Do that again,” Lena ordered, and Kara did— over and over again as both of them were pushed further and further toward the precipice. All Lena could do was hold on to Kara’s shoulders as she hammered into her with pinpoint precision, each motion hitting that sensitive spot just inside Lena’s body that sent bolts of pleasure through her. And then Kara picked up the speed, her movements becoming faster but smaller and more pointed as she chased her own release.</p><p>“‘M so close, Lena,” Kara grunted into her ear between ragged breaths.</p><p>That was all it took for Lena, who had never before come from penetration alone, to crash over the edge. Her body clenched down on the toy inside her as the head dragged perfectly over her g-spot and sent her spiraling into ecstasy. She was vaguely aware of Kara grunting above her, grinding against the toy until she cried out with her own release.</p><p>When she finally regained some semblance of awareness, Kara was still poised above her, holding herself up on quivering arms, but her face was strained with pleasure and shock.</p><p>“Kara? You okay?” Lena asked.</p><p>Kara nodded. “Yeah, um, yeah.” Then she bit her lip and looked down their bodies at where they were still joined by the dildo. “Um… Do you wanna go again?”</p><p>Lena could only nod before Kara had flipped her over and pulled her hips into the air. Kara’s fingers ghosted over Lena’s clit once, twice, and then she lined up the strap and slammed in all the way to the hilt. </p><p>“<em>Fuck!</em>” Lena shouted, reaching forward and bracing herself against the headboard as Kara began pounding into her in earnest. It was even deeper this way, and she could feel the ridges along the shaft that Kara had earlier pointed out. In just a few moments she surprised herself and Kara by coming hard once again, so hard that her vision went white and she collapsed onto the mattress.</p><p>“Holy shit,” Kara muttered as she continued thrusting, even as Lena tried to tap out.</p><p>“Oh God, Kara, I can’t,” she muttered, but Kara just pressed a kiss to her sweat-drenched shoulder.</p><p>“I think you can,” she urged. “Try for me, baby.”</p><p>Lena cried out into the mattress as Kara doubled her efforts, pulling every hint of pleasure she could from Lena’s body, until they were both on the brink again.</p><p>“Kara, I can’t,” Lena whined, as her orgasm seemed to hang so close and yet just out of reach.</p><p>“Yes, you can,” Kara grunted, then reached around and down until her fingers could swipe over Lena’s clit. “Come for me, Lena, come with me, baby.”</p><p>Lena didn’t know if it was the words or the three rough swipes over her clit, but every muscle in her body seemed to seize as bliss flooded her nerve endings, radiating from her clit to where she and Kara were joined and out all the way to the tips of her fingers and curling toes. Behind her she could hear Kara crying out her own release, grinding into the base of the strap to elongate her own pleasure, and that just pushed Lena even further until she collapsed forward into the mattress.</p><p>“Oof!” Kara grunted as she fell on top of her, the motion jostling the strap between them almost painfully, at least for Lena. She groaned and Kara quickly but gently pulled out. “Sorry about that.”</p><p>Lena could only sigh into the pillows in response, and Kara chuckled softly before standing and walking to the bathroom. Lena could hear the water running in the sink as Kara washed the toy, and a few minutes later the blonde returned.</p><p>“Here, roll over,” Kara told her, and Lena flopped over bonelessly, her hips popping loudly in protest. Kara came toward her with a warm, wet washcloth and reached between her legs.</p><p>“I think you’ve broken me,” Lena muttered as Kara ran the cloth over her sex.</p><p>“<em>I’ve</em> broken <em>you</em>?” Kara asked incredulously as she finished. She reached for her stomach. “I’m the one whose abs are going to be sore for a week.”</p><p>Lena grinned. “And are you complaining?”</p><p>Kara tossed the soiled cloth into the bathroom to deal with later and crawled into bed beside her. “Nope.”</p><p>Kara pulled the covers over them as Lena rolled onto one side. Kara fit flush against her back like a puzzle piece, her warmth and solid presence relaxing Lena better than any Swedish masseuse ever had. The breeze coming in the still-open windows was cooler now, with the distinct scent of the nearby sea, and the only light in the room came from the distant buildings and the nightlight that Kara left burning in the bathroom. All that, combined with physical exhaustion and the sound of Kara’s steady breathing in her ear, should’ve lulled Lena into a deep sleep quickly. But instead she found herself lying there, a sense of unease humming through her nerves. For several long minutes she lay there, unable to pinpoint the source of her anxiety, until she felt Kara shift stiffly behind her and realized it wasn’t her anxiety at all.</p><p>“I can feel you thinking,” she said into the dark.</p><p>“Sorry,” Kara muttered into her shoulder, but she didn’t elaborate. After a long moment with no answer, the blonde tensed again and sighed.</p><p>“Kara?” Lena pushed, but she kept her voice gentle.</p><p>“I was just thinking,” Kara said. “I was wondering… I don’t know how to say this.”</p><p>Lena rolled over in her arms, bare skin sticking to bare skin, until she could face the other woman. “Just say it, Kara.”</p><p>Even in the dim light she could see the faint pink blush on the blonde’s cheeks. God, and this was the woman who had just fucked her senseless with a strap-on.</p><p>“I was just wondering… This <em>thing</em> between us, whatever it is,” she swallowed hard. “Do you think it could continue? Even, you know, after you leave?”</p><p>Lena blinked slowly, letting her eyes adjust and take in every bit of detail she could see in the glow of the nightlight.</p><p>“You mean a relationship?” she asked, to clarify. “Like an actual relationship?”</p><p>Kara nodded. “Yeah, an actual relationship. I— gosh, it sounds so juvenile, but I want you to be my girlfriend, Lena.”</p><p>Lena’s heart fluttered like a bird in her chest, trapped deep inside her rib cage, unable to flee but desperate for escape. Kara’s face, her blue eyes, were so damned earnest, so desperately sincere that it almost broke her.</p><p>“Kara, I—“</p><p>“I know it wouldn’t be easy,” Kara interrupted, her words coming more smoothly now. “I know it would be long distance, with you in Cambridge. But I’d be willing to try. I mean, you and I already text and call each other almost daily, so it’s not like that would change. I just… I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together but… I really, <em>really</em> like you, Lena.”</p><p>Lena bit her lip. “I really, <em>really</em> like you, too.”</p><p>Kara beamed at her, her smile brighter than any light in the room. “So is that a yes?”</p><p>Lena swallowed hard, looking away from Kara, down to where the sheets covered their bodies. “You don’t want to date me.”</p><p>“I— I’m pretty sure I just said that I did,” Kara said, attempting to keep her tone jovial but there was a dark uncertainty there too. “If I wasn’t clear enough, I’m happy to list all the reasons that I <em>do</em> want to date you.”</p><p>Lena shook her head. “No, no… Kara, it’s not…”</p><p><em>It’s not you, it’s me.</em> No matter how true they were, those words still stuck in Lena’s throat like medicine, cloying and thick until she felt like she might choke on them. It was true, though, and the reasons played on repeat in her head: <em>I’m not good enough, I’m broken, I’m a Luthor, I can’t love, I can’t </em>be<em> loved. I don’t know how. And you deserve someone who knows how</em>.</p><p>“I don’t know if I can do long distance,” she told her instead, still looking at the bedsheets instead of Kara’s face.</p><p>“We can learn together,” Kara supplied. Her sunny optimism cracked at Lena’s brittle shell but instead of piercing it, it just left her feeling more broken. And instead of giving in, Lena reacted the only way she knew how— defensively.</p><p>“Maybe I don’t want to learn,” she said with a deep frown. “Maybe I don’t want a relationship like that, okay? Did that ever cross your mind?”</p><p>Kara blinked owlishly at her. “You… You don’t even want to try?”</p><p>Lena’s frown deepened. “I like this… whatever we have now, Kara. Don’t you?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I thought it could be—“</p><p>“Well it can’t,” Lena cut her off. Suddenly she felt exhaustion down to the very marrow of her bones. She sat up abruptly in bed. “I should go.”</p><p>“What? No, Lena, wait,” Kara pleaded, reaching for her arm.</p><p>“I can’t do this, Kara, I just—“</p><p>“Okay, then we won’t,” Kara said simply, though the heartbreak was clear in both her tone and her expression. “We won’t, I— Just lie back down.”</p><p>Lena furrowed her brow as she looked back at her. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes,” Kara replied. “I don’t want you to leave. It’s your last night here, I want to spend it with you.”</p><p>Kara patted the bed beside her like she was trying to convince a frightened animal to come closer rather than flee. Lena looked at her skeptically for a moment, then scooted back into place, turning her back toward the blonde but tugging her closer by the arm until they were back in their earlier spooning position.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Kara muttered against the back of her neck.</p><p>Lena sighed into the darkness as she twined their fingers together on her abdomen. “So am I.”</p><p>——</p><p>The next morning, Lena awoke to cool air on her naked skin. She grunted in irritation and reached blindly for Kara or for the covers, but her hands found neither. Finally she managed to force her eyes open, only to immediately close them again as a warm tongue parted the folds of her sex.</p><p>“Fuck, Kara,” she muttered, her voice rough with sleep, as the other woman continued her slow, deliberate strokes, licking and sucking and tasting as if she wanted to draw every drop of pleasure from Lena’s body.</p><p>It wasn’t like the night before. It wasn’t like any of the times they had fucked over the last week, or even in the years before. It reminded Lena strongly of the tenderness Kara had shown her their first time together, but this was perhaps even softer, slower. For the first time in Lena’s life, she felt as if achieving orgasm wasn’t even the point of the sexual act, but instead to savor every touch for as long as possible. She reached down and twisted one hand in Kara’s hair, luxuriating in the soft strands while tugging softly until the blonde groaned against her, sending vibrations through the most sensitive parts of her body.</p><p>When her orgasm did come, it crashed over Lena in waves, slow and earth-shattering. Kara’s hand was between her own legs, and a moment later she was moaning as well. Even still, she kept lapping at Lena’s clit until every bit of pleasure was wrung out of her body and Lena had to pull her away by her hair. Kara crawled up the bed and collapsed beside Lena, staring at her with those gorgeous blue eyes and more emotions than Lena was comfortable parsing through.</p><p>They stayed like that for a long while, until the sun was high in the sky outside the apartment. Kara’s stomach growled loudly and Lena chuckled, but neither of them made any effort to move. Finally, Lena reached out and began tracing her name on Kara’s back, between her shoulder blades.</p><p>“My flight leaves in three hours.”</p><p>Kara frowned, her cheek smooshing up against the mattress beneath her face. Her body tensed, then relaxed with a sigh.</p><p>“Do you have to go back?” she murmured softly, and her tone twisted at something visceral inside Lena’s chest.</p><p>“I have two more years at MIT.”</p><p>Kara sighed. “Yeah, and it would be a tragedy to waste your brain.”</p><p>Lena smiled wryly at her.</p><p>“What about after that?” Kara asked, and Lena was reminded of their conversation the night before. Her lips fell in a frown.</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>Kara studied her for a moment, just long enough for Lena to second-guess her honesty. But it didn’t feel right to lie and give Kara more hope than Lena allowed herself.</p><p>“Okay,” Kara said finally, her tone resolute. She sat up and stood from the bed quickly, grabbing her tank top and shorts from the floor. “I’ll make breakfast while you shower. Pancakes sound good?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Lena replied, a little thrown by the sudden change of subject. “Yeah, pancakes sound great.”</p><p>“Great,” Kara repeated. She looked down at Lena’s naked form once again, her eyes roaming from Lena’s head to her toes and back again, before she shook her head and turned and walked toward the kitchen.</p><p>Lena showered quickly, leaving her hair damp so it could dry naturally. Few people knew it, but her hair was naturally curly, and the natural salt air so close to the coast brought out its best shape. She pulled on her typical airplane outfit— black leggings and an oversized NCU hoodie that Kara had mailed her that winter— and made her way to the kitchen where Kara was finishing the pancakes.</p><p>They ate in silence, and Lena could practically feel the pressure of the words on Kara’s tongue, but the blonde held it in. Instead she stuffed her face with more pancakes than any person should be able to eat, and then she went to take her own shower, leaving Lena alone to gather up her things in her suitcase.</p><p>“I can get myself to the airport, you know,” Lena told her as Kara called a cab, but the blonde just waved her hand dismissively at the idea. So they rode together in the backseat of the cab, on opposite sides, the middle seat an untouchable no man’s land between them. Kara’s hand stayed firmly clenched on her thigh, and Lena kept a white-knuckled grip on her seatbelt to keep from reaching for it.</p><p>Once they were inside the airport, Lena checked her bag and retrieved her ticket from the counter. She eyed the line for the security check, well aware that the minutes were ticking down to when she had to be on the plane. Kara stood there, in her jeans and a faded Barenaked Ladies t-shirt that her sister had given her, scuffing the toe of her sneakers across the shiny tile floor. She kept her hands deep in her pockets, the way Lena used to when she was a child and Lillian told her not to touch anything.</p><p>“Text me when you land, okay?” Kara told her.</p><p>“You know it’s statistically very improbable that anything bad happens on a flight?” Lena asked.</p><p>“Yeah, and so do you, but I also know that you hate flying,” Kara said with a grin. “So text me, alright?”</p><p>“Alright,” Lena agreed, her heart warming at the blonde’s concern. She gripped the strap of her carry-on a bit tighter. “So, um, I… Maybe I’ll see you next August?”</p><p>It was the stupidest thing to say, but Lena only realized that after she said it. Kara’s eyes widened in response, and she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it and shook her head.</p><p>“Yeah, maybe next year,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.</p><p>“Okay.” Lena glanced toward the security line again. “I guess I should go.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara agreed, but neither of them moved. After a long moment, Kara took a deep breath. “Look, I know what you said—“</p><p>“Kara,” Lena warned, her stomach flip-flopping, but Kara just continued.</p><p>“—and I respect that. But, um, I just wanted to say, if you change your mind, I’ll be here.”</p><p>“Kara—“ Lena began.</p><p>“Goodbye, Lena,” Kara said firmly. She stepped forward and wrapped Lena in a tight hug before kissing her cheek, then stepped back just as abruptly.</p><p>“Goodbye, Kara.”</p><p>Lena realized, later, that it could’ve been like a movie. In a movie she would’ve gone through security, gotten almost to the plane, or maybe even on the plane, and she would’ve realized that she had made a mistake. She would’ve run back through the airport, past security, maybe shoved a few fellow travelers in her haste, pissed off the airport employees and TSA agents. Kara would’ve been waiting for her, staring wide eyed and maybe crying as Lena ran toward her. And then they would’ve kissed in front of everyone in the airport, not caring what anyone thought.</p><p>But this wasn’t a movie. So Lena made her way through security, only looking back once as she took off her shoes and passed through the metal detector. Kara was still standing there, hands back in her pockets, an unreadable expression on her face. Once Lena made her way through the line, though, it twisted around a corner, and the other woman was out of her sight. She put her shoes back on and grabbed her carryon and made it to the plane as it was beginning to load. She took her seat in first class and stared out the window, looking something like a cheesy music video for a breakup song as the plane took off and headed for Massachusetts.</p><p>Five and a half hours later, her flight landed in Boston. Thirty minutes later, she was unlocking the door to her apartment. Even though it had only been six hours, the time difference meant that it was already late evening, and all Lena wanted to do was curl up on her sofa and eat the takeout she had picked up while watching a <em>Mythbusters</em> marathon that she and Kara had started earlier that week. At the thought of the blonde, she dug her phone out of her apartment, pulling up her contact as she entered the apartment, not paying attention to her surroundings at all.</p><p>That was why it took her a moment to realize that her apartment wasn’t empty. The light from her living room lamps was the first thing that caught her attention, and Lena almost screamed before she realized who was sitting on her sofa— and then she almost screamed yet again, but for a completely different reason.</p><p>“Hello, Lena, darling.”</p><p>Lena swallowed hard and lowered her phone to her side. “Hello, Mother.”</p><p>Lillian Luthor was an intimidating woman. Tall, elegant, with a not-so-subtle edge that made even strangers take pause upon first meeting. Lena could remember with startling clarity the first time she had met her adoptive mother. Where Lionel had attempted to be warm and welcoming to her, Lillian didn’t hold with such pretense. Over the years, Lena had realized that the eerily dangerous aura her mother projected was completely intentional and totally justified.</p><p>“Did you have a good trip?” Lillian asked, peering at Lena’s attire with a measuring expression.</p><p>Lena weighed her words carefully. There was no denying that she was returning from a trip of some sort, but she hadn’t exactly told her family that she was going anywhere.</p><p>“I did,” she replied simply. An answer, succinct and in no way self-incriminating.</p><p>Lillian pursed her lips as if she had tasted a lemon. “Yes, I suppose visiting your lover would be a good trip, wouldn’t it.”</p><p>Lena schooled her features. “I don’t know what—“</p><p>“<em>Don’t</em> lie to me.” Lillian’s words were practically a hiss. “I can tell when your father does it, and he has years of practice on you, so I can certainly tell when you do.”</p><p>Lena blinked slowly. “Why are you here, Mother?”</p><p>“I’m here to put an end to your little affair,” Lillian replied. “Did you really think your father and I could let something like that continue, Lena? You’re a Luthor, after all.”</p><p>“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lena bit back.</p><p>“Oh, so you didn’t just spend an entire week in California in the company of one Kara Danvers?” Lillian asked, and the mention of Kara’s name was like a bucket of ice water being poured over Lena’s head. “I have my ways of finding out things, Lena, you should know that by now. And you’re the daughter of a business magnate, you are certainly not invisible. There are photos of you out with her, holding hands, touching each other, photos of you going into her apartment. At least I was able to suppress those, and you weren’t seen partaking in any blatant public displays of affection— I don’t think any amount of money could’ve made those disappear.”</p><p>“I take it you don’t approve?” Lena asked.</p><p>“You’re a Luthor, Lena,” Lillian spat, “if in name only. Your actions are not just your own. They reflect on all of us, and on LuthorCorp.”</p><p>“And you think me being with a woman reflects badly?”</p><p>Lillian scoffed. “Oh be sensible. I know you live in this liberal bubble of a college town, but the wider world is different, Lena.” Lillian folded her hands in her lap and sat up straighter. “I’m doing you a favor. You don’t want this getting out.”</p><p>Lena shook her head in disgust. “Not that it matters, but Kara and I aren’t in any sort of relationship at all. So you’ve wasted your trip.”</p><p>“And who were you about to message when you came through the door?” Lillian asked knowingly. “Certainly not your father or I. Not Lex. And I don’t think you usually wear such a saccharine smile when you contact Andrea Rojas or that Arias woman. You were going to message her.”</p><p>Lena stiffened her jaw. “I was just going to let her know I made it home safe, that’s all.”</p><p>“Well, that certainly sounds like something you would do for someone you’re in a relationship with, but perhaps I’m just old fashioned.” Lillian stood and made her way across the apartment. “Whatever you want to call it— dating, girlfriends, a relationship, gal pals— it ends now.”</p><p>Lena couldn’t help herself. She set her jaw and met her mother’s cold stare with one of her own. “Or what?”</p><p>Lillian pulled her phone from her pocket. “Miss Danvers wants to be a reporter, if my sources are correct. She’s already put in applications with <em>The Daily Planet</em>, as well as several other news media outlets in Metropolis and National City. All it would take is one email to their hiring managers, and she would be blacklisted from every major publication in the country.”</p><p>Lena’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t!”</p><p>But she knew, even as the words left her mouth, that Lillian would.</p><p>“Lena, darling, for this family, for <em>you</em>,” Lillian said, “I would do <em>anything</em>.”</p><p>Lillian tucked her phone back into her pocket and stepped around Lena toward the door. She gave Lena a final once over and scowled before her eyes landed pointedly on Lena’s cell phone, still clutched in her hand, and back up to Lena’s face.</p><p>“Think about what I’ve said.” She leaned in and gave Lena a cold kiss on the cheek. “I hope you have a good semester. We’ll see you at Thanksgiving.”</p><p>With that, Lillian let herself out of the apartment, leaving as if she had never even been there.</p><p>Lena stood, frozen, unable to step any further into her own home. She was hit with a sudden urge to burn the sofa where Lillian had sat. She looked around the apartment, as if she could discern what else Lillian had sullied, and then she looked down at her phone.</p><p>Kara’s smiling face looked back at her from the photo attached to her contact. Lena had taken it on the beach three days earlier, when the sunlight hit Kara’s hair just right so that it looked like molten gold and her eyes shimmered brighter blue than the ocean itself. She was laughing, the corners of her eyes squinched up in joy, mouth wide and carefree. Kara was sunlight personified, full of hope and set on a course for a promising future. Kara wanted to change the world, to save the world.</p><p>And Lena wouldn’t be the one who ruined that for her.</p><p>She scrolled down, to the bottom of the screen, until she found the red button labeled <em>Delete Contact</em>.</p><p>When that was done, she deleted her photos, her text messages, until every trace of the other woman was cleared from the device.</p><p>Lena found herself wishing, as she tucked herself into bed that night, that she could delete the memories from her mind just as easily.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. August 3, 2012</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”</p><p>Lena pushed her aviators higher onto her nose as the rental car emerged from the thick pine forests of Northern California. The scenic highway wound along the rocky coast for several miles, looking out over the deep blue Pacific. The early afternoon sunlight sent bolts of pain through Lena’s head and she groaned as she turned away from the window.</p><p>“There wasn’t a lot of talking involved,” Sam said from the driver’s seat. “More like you drank so much scotch that you could barely walk or string two words together and I practically carried you to the car.”</p><p>“Believe me, sober-me would not have agreed to come with you to Midvale,” Lena grouched.</p><p>The SUV wound its way further down the coast, soft-indie pop playing on the radio. Finally, after what felt like ages, a <em>Now Entering Midvale</em> sign greeted them, framed against a backsplash of evergreens, and beyond that an overlook showed them a glimpse of the harbor town below.</p><p>Lena groaned at the sight.</p><p>“It’ll be fine,” Sam assured her. “Besides, you need a break.”</p><p>Lena grunted. “A weekend with your girlfriend and her mother does not sound like a break.”</p><p>“Eliza will love you,” Sam assured her. “She’s precious.”</p><p>“She’s also Kara’s mother,” Lena mumbled.</p><p>Sam sighed, but she didn’t speak, instead focusing much harder than necessary on the GPS directions and leaving Lena to her own thoughts. Lena sighed and looked back out the window.</p><p>She was happy for Sam, truly, she was. Ever since she had met Alex that night two years before, they had been talking. Both had dated other people a bit off and on, but about ten months ago Sam got a job at LuthorCorp’s National City branch and she and Alex reconnected in person. Sam was the happiest Lena had ever seen her, she just happened to be happy with the woman who was sister to Lena’s… <em>Kara</em>.</p><p>Lena couldn’t even call Kara her ex, because she had refused to actually call what they had a relationship. She wasn’t sure what it was, really. Was there a label for someone you hooked up with two years in a row and then spent a year growing closer and closer by text and phone and then spent the best week of your life with only to completely ghost them? Lena was pretty sure there was nothing for that. Kara was her almost, her nothing, and yet she was everything at the same time.</p><p>“Does Eliza know that we…? That Kara and I…?” Lena wasn’t even sure how to finish the question.</p><p>“Does she know that you and Kara know each other and maybe almost dated? Yes. Does she know all the details like how you hooked up multiple times and spent a week fucking like rabbits in Kara’s apartment? No, at least I don’t think so. When I told her that I was thinking of inviting you this weekend, Eliza was happy for you to come.”</p><p>Lena fidgeted at the idea of Kara’s mother being happy for her to visit.</p><p>“And you’re sure Kara’s not going to be there?”</p><p>“Positive,” Sam told her. “Alex told me she wasn’t able to get off work. She was very disappointed to miss the festival, but she has to get a very important project done at work, even though it’s the weekend.”</p><p>Lena could practically see Kara’s disappointed face in her mind’s eye. She knew from talking to Sam that Kara had gotten a job at CatCo Worldwide Media. She was just a low-level filing clerk for now, but Lena had no doubt that she would work her way up through the ranks— especially since she didn’t have Lillian Luthor blacklisting her.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>Lena glanced over at Sam, then back out the front window again. Sam didn’t know about Lillian’s threats. She just knew that Lena had stopped all communication with Kara after their week together last year. Lena ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, but even she couldn’t hide how stiff her voice sounded. “You were right, I do need a break. Some time away from everything before classes start again will be good. And Midvale seems nice.”</p><p>Sam still seemed skeptical, but her attention was pulled away as the GPS began announcing their eminent arrival. Even Lena perked up as they counted the address numbers on the mailboxes, until they turned into a paved driveway beside a perfectly-maintained yard and garden and drove up a small hill to a gray craftsman-style house.</p><p>Before the car was even completely stopped, the front door opened and a blur of pale skin and dark red hair was running for the car. Sam managed to turn off the ignition and unbuckle her seatbelt before she was yanked out of the car by her eager girlfriend and kissed soundly for all to see. Lena chuckled at them, until the car gave an unsettling lurch backward and she had to pull up the forgotten parking brake herself.</p><p>Lena managed to extricate herself from the vehicle as a middle-aged blonde woman exited the house and made her way toward the car. She took one glance toward the kissing couple and rolled her eyes dramatically before changing her course toward Lena.</p><p>“You must be Lena,” she said fondly. “I’m Eliza. The girls have told me so much about you.”</p><p>Lena blushed in spite of all Lillian’s training on not blushing when she met new people. “Good things, I hope.”</p><p>“Only the best,” Eliza told her.</p><p>Without any hesitation the woman pulled Lena into a tight hug, much to Lena’s surprise. She stiffened at first, instinctively, but then something about the warmth of the older woman, the floral scent of her, the overall maternal sense of her, washed over Lena like a wave of relaxation and she hesitantly returned the hug herself.</p><p>“Sam told me about your father,” Eliza said softly as she hugged her. “If you need anything while you’re here, anything at all, just let me know.”</p><p>“I— Thank you, that’s very kind,” Lena replied, still a bit shell-shocked as they parted.</p><p>“I should’ve warned you that these Danvers women are huggers,” Sam said from behind her. She went in for her own hug from Eliza, and Lena was left standing awkwardly as Alex approached.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I won’t give you a full hug,” Alex told her, but she did wrap an arm awkwardly around her shoulders and squeeze. “I usually break people in gently. Mom goes all out.”</p><p>“It’s a mom thing,” Eliza said with a shrug.</p><p>Lena was fairly certain it wasn’t, but then again the only mother she had to make a comparison to was Lillian, and she knew enough about the world to know that Lillian wasn’t the gold standard when it came to motherhood.</p><p>“Alex and Sam, you two can have the guest room,” Eliza told them as they made their way into the house, after Lena and Sam had grabbed their bags from the trunk of the car.</p><p>“Ooo, sharing a room with my girlfriend, scandalous,” Sam said, wiggling her eyebrows at Alex, whose cheeks turned pink.</p><p>“I’m a cool mom like that,” Eliza said with a wink, and Alex’s blush spread all the way to the tips of her ears.</p><p>“<em>Mom!</em>” she huffed, and even Lena joined in with the other two giggling at her.</p><p>“Lena, that leaves Kara and Alex’s old room for you,” Eliza continued, ignoring her daughter’s embarrassment. “I hope that’s alright. I know a twin bed probably isn’t the accommodation you’re used to.”</p><p>“It’s perfectly fine, Eliza,” Lena assured her. “Your home is beautiful, I’m sure it’ll be very comfortable.”</p><p>The bed itself was comfortable, Lena found, as was the room— a spacious attic-turned-bedroom with a reading nook lined with shelves beneath a large window that looked out on the street below and the ocean beyond. Twin beds with white headboards sat on either side of the nook, and it was clear from the photos and posters which side of the room belonged to which sister. Lena chose Alex’s bed, beneath the rock band posters and sarcastic quotes pinned to a corkboard on the wall and crime and sci-fi novels lining the shelves. She pointedly tried to ignore Kara’s side of the room, with its pastel flower decals around the window, pictures of baby animals on the corkboard, and copies of every fantasy children’s book series on the shelves.</p><p>The next morning, after freshening up and getting dressed, Lena followed the smell of cooking bacon and fresh coffee downstairs to the kitchen. Sam and Alex were already cozied up at one end of the kitchen table, still in their pajamas, while Eliza stood in front of the stove, minding several pans full of food.</p><p>“Wow, something smells amazing,” Lena commented as she peered over Eliza’s shoulder. “Do you need any help?”</p><p>“Thank you, dear, but no, I’ve got it all under control,” Eliza told her. “Pour yourself some coffee, or I have tea in the cabinet if you’d rather. This should be finished in just a few minutes.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Lena moved to the coffee pot and poured herself a mug. As she added a tiny bit of creamer, a flash of light out the window caught her eye. She squinted as a small cherry-red Toyota pulled into the drive. “Are you expecting company?”</p><p>“Hmm?” Eliza shuffled to stand beside her and gasped slightly. “Oh, I didn’t think she would be able to make it.”</p><p>“Who?” Alex asked, standing to join them at the window, but Lena already knew the answer and her stomach did a flip before dropping low in her gut. As soon as a blonde head emerged from the driver’s seat of the car, Alex turned to Lena with wide eyes. “I swear, she said she wasn’t coming this weekend! She said she had this huge project at work and Cat Grant herself would kill her if she didn’t finish.”</p><p>Lena barely heard her. She put down her mug with a clunk and turned to head upstairs, but Sam was blocking her path.</p><p>“You knew this was going to happen,” she hissed through gritted teeth.</p><p>“I knew exactly what Alex knew,” Sam said, voice low. “Stop acting like this is the end of the world.”</p><p>“You don’t know—“ Lena began, but before she could finish her sentence the front door was opening.</p><p>“Eliza? Alex? Is Sam here? Ooo, do I smell bacon?” Kara called through the house.</p><p>“You didn’t tell her that I was coming this weekend, did you?” Lena asked.</p><p>“No, didn’t see any need to,” Sam replied.</p><p>Lena groaned low in her throat, then turned around to face the music.</p><p>Kara appeared in the opposite doorway for all of half a second before Alex stepped in front of her, blocking her entry.</p><p>“Alex? What’s going on?” Kara asked.</p><p>“I thought you weren’t coming this weekend,” Alex said. “What about your big project?”</p><p>“You’ll never believe what happened!” Kara exclaimed. “Winn and I were supposed to be scanning all these paper files into an electronic database and then transcribing them so the text would be easy to search, right? But when Winn and I got down to the basement, there was this spider infestation— <em>black widow spiders, Alex!</em> So they had to call in an exterminator and fumigate the entire basement and then let the chemicals air out before Winn and I could start working on it, which will take days, so… I was able to come home for the wine festival!”</p><p>They all stood frozen as Kara finished her ramble. As the information processed in Lena’s brain, her teeth ground together in frustration and she silently cursed at whatever greater being may or may not exist in the universe.</p><p>Kara sniffed dramatically. “Uh… I think the bacon’s burning.”</p><p>“Oh, crap!” Eliza exclaimed, hurrying to the stove where she grabbed tongs and started pulling meat from the pan. Alex turned to look, and Kara took advantage of that moment to push past her.</p><p>“I’ll just go put my things in our bedroo— <em>Oh.</em>”</p><p>Lena imagined that her own face somewhat mirrored Kara’s deer-in-headlights expression. Kara’s mouth opened once, twice, then closed again as her eyes showed shock, confusion, and finally settled on a mixture of anger and sadness that Lena couldn’t bear.</p><p>So she did what she did best and ran.</p><p>She couldn’t get to the door and she couldn’t go to the bedroom she had used, so she made her way to the large wraparound porch on the house’s second level. The early morning breeze blew cool salt air through her hair as she paced back and forth. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she sat on the edge of the wicker chair at the edge of the deck.</p><p>She needed to leave. Coming here had been a mistake, even before Kara had arrived. If Lillian found out she was around Kara again, her mother might actually make good on her threats from the year before. It wouldn’t matter that they weren’t actually in a relationship, Lillian would do something terrible just to show Lena that she could, that she wasn’t bluffing. And Kara… Kara didn’t deserve that.</p><p>Lena stood suddenly and turned toward the door, only to find her path blocked by a familiar blonde. She froze in place, like prey in front of a predator, like maybe if she didn’t move Kara wouldn’t see her, but Kara seemed determined to look anywhere but directly at Lena.</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>Lena swallowed hard. “Hi.”</p><p>“I, um, I didn’t know Sam was bringing you,” Kara said simply.</p><p>“I know,” Lena replied. “It was kind of a last minute decision. She thought it would be good for me to get away.”</p><p>“Oh.” </p><p>And then the dam inside Lena burst. “I should go.”</p><p>“No, I can go back to the city, it’s fine.”</p><p>“You don’t have to do that,” Lena told her. “You’re not the one who—“</p><p>Lena wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence. <em>The one making things awkward. The one who ran away. The one who’s scared. The one with a crazy family.</em> All of them crashed through her mind like the waves below them, pounding relentlessly until her thoughts were little more than a splattered mess inside her skull.</p><p>It must’ve shown on her face, because Kara’s forehead crinkled with concern. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Lena sighed and sat back down on the wicker chair. “My father is dying.”</p><p>It wasn’t what she meant to say, or what she needed to say, but it was something. Kara’s shoulders slumped and she looked at Lena with sympathy. “Oh.”</p><p>“Yeah, cancer,” Lena told her. “He’s got six months left, maybe. He says he wants to make it to my graduation.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Yeah, me too.” Lena shrugged her shoulders. “Sam invited me to come with her to get away for a bit. Is that selfish? I only have a short amount of time with him but I’m trying to get away and have some time to myself.”</p><p>“I don’t think it’s selfish,” Kara replied. “You’ve got to take care of yourself. Isn’t that what Oprah and Dr. Phil are talking about all the time?”</p><p>“I don’t think Dr. Phil is a real doctor.”</p><p>“Eh, whatever,” Kara said with a slight grin. “You should stay here, Lena. It would be good for you.”</p><p>“I don’t want you to leave, either,” Lena told her. “That’s not fair.”</p><p>Kara sighed and walked over to lean against the railing. She looked out over the ocean for a minute before she turned and looked at Lena.</p><p>“I’m dating a guy named Mike,” she said, voice resolute. “He’s an intern at CatCo. I like him.”</p><p>Lena stared at her, mouth opening and closing like a fish for a long moment before she realized that Kara was waiting for some kind of response. “Oh.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara continued, “I’m with Mike now. So I think we can both be mature adults about this, don’t you? We have a past together, but we can hang out for a couple of days as friends, right?”</p><p>“I— I think so,” Lena agreed, though her heart was pounding in her chest and calling her a liar. “I think I’d like that.”</p><p>“Good,” Kara nodded. “Now come on, I’m starving and Eliza made bacon.”</p><p>——</p><p>The Midvale Wine Festival, according to Alex and Kara, was an annual street fair held every August to bring in tourists to the local vineyards and wineries. Over the years it had grown to include other local small businesses and vendors, including several breweries, restaurants and food trucks, various artisans, musicians, and local charities. They even had bouncy castles and pony rides for the kids.</p><p>As they passed the children’s corner, however, Lena was fairly certain that Kara would’ve tried all of those things out for herself if there wasn’t a height limit.</p><p>“Can we at least go through the petting zoo?” Kara pouted, and nobody, but especially not Lena, could resist her pout.</p><p>That was how, less than ten minutes later, Lena found herself crouched down feeding a very small goat from an edible ice cream cone.</p><p>“Oh my gosh, isn’t he just the cutest thing!” Kara cooed as she fed her own goat beside Lena. It was grizzled black and white, with tiny little horns poking out of its head, and it kept getting the cone stuck over its mouth.</p><p>“I’m a little partial to this one,” Lena replied, reaching out to scratch her goat’s side as it continued to eat. This one was almost completely white, with just a few small light brown patches in its fur.</p><p>“Oof!” Kara grunted, and when Lena looked over to see what had happened she immediately burst into laughter.</p><p>A third baby goat, not wanting to be ignored, had jumped onto Kara’s bent back and was looking over her shoulder toward the food in her hand. When it realized that it couldn’t reach, the little brown creature started nosing at Kara’s ponytail.</p><p>“Don’t let it eat my hair!” Kara exclaimed. “Lena? Lena, what are you doing?”</p><p>Lena grinned as she backed up and pulled her phone from her pocket. “Just getting a photo for posterity. Don’t move.”</p><p>Kara grunted in agreement, but as soon as Lena snapped the photo, she stood up slowly, until the goat jumped down. She turned with an accusatory face, then sighed in resignation and offered the little climber what was left of her feed.</p><p>“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” she grumbled.</p><p>As they left the petting zoo— only after Kara threatened to steal a baby rabbit under her shirt and Lena revealed that she was afraid of chickens— Kara bumped her side fondly.</p><p>“Hey, send me that picture you took.”</p><p>Lena smiled, only to be filled with panic. “Oh, um… I can’t.”</p><p>Kara frowned. “Why not? Was it no good?”</p><p>“No, it’s just, I…” Lena gulped. “I don’t have your number.”</p><p>“Oh,” Kara said, her frown deepening. Then her eyes widened. “Did you get a new phone and lose it? That happened to Alex when she dropped her phone in a toilet and had to get it replaced.”</p><p>Kara’s expression was almost hopeful, so much so that Lena was tempted to lie. It would be easier that way, and less painful, if she had lost Kara’s number transferring to a new phone rather than deleting it and ghosting her completely. But Lena didn’t like lying, even if it was easier, and she didn’t want to give Kara a false sense of hope, not over this.</p><p>“No,” she replied. “No, that’s… That’s not what happened.”</p><p>Kara stared at her for a long moment. “Oh.”</p><p>“I can send you the picture, though, if you want to give me your number.”</p><p>“No, that’s… That’s fine,” Kara said, hands in her pockets, looking anywhere but at Lena. “Hey, there’s Sam and Alex, let’s catch up.”</p><p>They found Sam and Alex taste-testing wine beside a small tent with a photo of a black cat on the sign, and joined in on the tasting even though it was barely ten-thirty. Eliza had already gone off with some of her own friends, which left the four of them to their own devices. The day was spent tasting wine between perusing stalls of antiques and crafts. Lena ended up buying several scented goats-milk soaps, some antique copies of Shakespeare, including a leather-bound copy of <em>King Lear</em> with gold embossment for Lex, and a stained-glass Celtic knot for her bedroom window. Kara and Alex ended up with matching beanies, and two jars of local honey a piece to take back to National City. Sam, on the other hand, seemed happy to peruse, but reluctant to purchase anything, until they found a stall with jewelry made with hand carved wooden beads. She was dead set on buying herself a bracelet when Alex stepped forward and paid for it herself, earning her a kiss that bordered on obscene in the middle of Main Street.</p><p>Beside her, Kara chuckled. “Boy, am I glad my room’s not right beside theirs tonight.”</p><p>Lena laughed as well, then did the math in her head. Eliza’s home had three bedrooms— the master bedroom where Eliza slept, the guest room where Sam and Alex were sleeping, and the attic bedroom that used to belong to Kara and Alex where Lena had slept last night. Of course Kara expected to sleep in her old bedroom. But that would mean—</p><p>A buzzing from her pocket interrupted Lena’s thoughts. They had wandered away from Alex and Sam, closer to the food trucks, and Kara was looking at every funnel cake that passed with increasing interest.</p><p>“Can you get me a lemonade, please?” Lena asked, digging in her pocket for change.</p><p>“Sure, I got it,” Kara replied, ignoring her money and taking off toward a food truck that sold both fresh-squeezed lemonade and funnel cakes.</p><p>Lena found a metal bench and pulled her phone from her pocket with a sense of dread. Surely Lillian hadn’t figured out where she had gone— Sam had bought the tickets for her flight, for fuck’s sake, and she had withdrawn cash from an ATM in Cambridge before leaving so she wouldn’t have to use her card. But when a familiar face flashed up on her screen, relief flooded through her and she replied to the text— and the handful that followed in response— with a grin.</p><p>“Oooo, what’s that grin about?”</p><p>Lena barely glanced up from her phone as Sam plopped down on the bench beside her.</p><p>“Where’s Alex?”</p><p>“She went to get food with Kara.” Sam peered over Lena’s shoulder before settling back into the bench. “How’s that going, by the way?”</p><p>“Fine,” Lena replied with a shrug. “Honestly. It’s kind of nice to just hang out with her. Before whenever we were together we were—“</p><p>“Fucking like bunnies?” Sam supplied. “Yeah, I’m aware.”</p><p>“Says the woman who just played tonsil hockey with her girlfriend in the middle of town square,” Lena teased.</p><p>“Who even says that anymore?” Sam grumbled. She tried again to peer over Lena’s shoulder at her phone, but Lena managed to turn it so that she couldn’t get a good angle. Sam sighed dramatically. “Who are you texting? Ooo, is it Jack?”</p><p>“Who’s Jack?”</p><p>Lena almost dropped her phone in surprise as Kara appeared in front of her, holding a tray of drinks in one hand and precariously balancing a funnel cake and two extra-long corn dogs in the other.</p><p>“Kara, it’s only been a few hours since breakfast!” Lena exclaimed.</p><p>“It’s not all for me, half of it’s for you,” Kara told her, bumping Sam with her foot until the other woman moved to the opposite end of the bench and Kara could sit between them.</p><p>“Jack is Lena’s boyfriend,” Sam said salaciously, wiggling her eyebrows.</p><p>“Oh!” Kara exclaimed, just as Lena sighed in frustration.</p><p>“He is not,” she said. “He’s just a friend.”</p><p>“Who’s asked you out,” Sam added. “Twice.”</p><p>“Three times actually,” Lena mumbled. “But I said no because I don’t like him that way.”</p><p>Sam rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever, I’ve seen you two together.”</p><p>“He’s a nice guy, and a friend, and we’re working on a project together,” Lena huffed. “That’s it.”</p><p>“Here, corn dog with honey mustard for you,” Kara interrupted, handing over one of the corn dogs and a tiny paper cup of honey mustard. “And you should be grateful for the honey mustard. I had to go steal it from the chicken tender truck down there, and they were mad because I didn’t actually buy food from them.”</p><p>“Which is how I ended up with chicken tenders,” Alex said, interrupting them. “Come sit with me, babe.”</p><p>“Only if you got me a pretzel,” Sam replied.</p><p>Alex scoffed. “As if I would ever let you down.”</p><p>Lena watched them move to a bench several feet away and shook her head fondly. “They’re so good together.”</p><p>“Yeah, they are,” Kara replied. “And to think, they have the two of us to thank for that.”</p><p>Lena chuckled. “Yeah, well, they better thank us in their wedding vows.”</p><p>“You think they’ll get married?” Kara asked.</p><p>“I think Sam would get married tomorrow if Alex asked.” Lena shook her head. “She’s never been one to shy away from commitment.”</p><p>“Neither is Alex, but she’s always a little hesitant to jump into big things.” Kara took a bite of her corn dog and chewed it thoughtfully. “I give it another year.”</p><p>Lena chuckled and took another sip of her lemonade. It was cloyingly sweet, but tart enough to make her lips pucker.</p><p>“So Jack…” Kara began.</p><p>Lena groaned. “Not you, too.”</p><p>“Well Sam seemed pretty sure you were dating.”</p><p>“Sam needs to mind her own fucking business sometimes,” Lena grumbled, stabbing her corn dog into the container of honey mustard with force. She sighed. “I like him. Jacky… He checks all the boxes, you know? Comes from a good family, enough money to make my family happy. He’s just an all around really nice guy. I like spending time with him. And he’s brilliant, fucking <em>brilliant</em>. We’re trying to start a project to use nanobots to cure cancer, and he’s just… his ideas are incredible, absolutely genius.”</p><p>“Sounds like you’re in love with his brain,” Kara commented.</p><p>“Well, it’s one of his great qualities,” Lena replied. “He’s handsome, too. It’s just… God, I think it would be like dating my brother, you know? Except less arrogant, and with more hair.”</p><p>Kara laughed at that, but the sound was harsh, somewhat forced, like ice cubes being crushed in a blender.</p><p>“What about Mike?” Lena asked, turning the tables.</p><p>“Mike?” Kara repeated. “Oh, well… He also has hair.”</p><p>Lena giggled. “Good to know. Do you have a picture?”</p><p>Kara pulled out her phone and showed her the background, a photo of her in the arms of a guy with brown hair and light eyes. He wasn’t bad looking, but he also wasn’t really anything to write home about, at least in Lena’s book, but Kara looked happy so who was she to judge?</p><p>“Cute,” she said. “What does he do?”</p><p>“He’s an intern at CatCo,” Kara replied. “I actually helped him get the job. I met him at Al’s Bar, he was applying to be a bartender. But his mom owns some big company— Daxam Industries?”</p><p>“Seriously? Rhea Daxam is his mother?” Lena asked.</p><p>Kara nodded. “Yeah, but, um, he’s not really close to them. He doesn’t really want anything to do with the company, apparently.”</p><p>“I’m not sure I would, either,” Lena commented. “They’re not as bad as LuthorCorp when it comes to environmental damage and war profiteering, but they got some bad press last year for child labor and Chinese sweatshops.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know,” Kara mumbled. “I keep telling him that if he actually took it seriously and got involved in the company, maybe he could do something to fix it, but he doesn’t seem to care.”</p><p>Lena’s lips twisted in shared frustration, but she shook it off. “How long have you been together?”</p><p>“About four months,” Kara replied. “He’s a nice guy. He’s a foodie, too, so we’ve checked out a lot of the restaurants downtown. He would like something like this, actually.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you bring him?” Lena asked curiously.</p><p>Kara ducked her head. “We’re not quite at the <i>meet the family</i> point of the relationship, I don’t think. He’s met Alex, briefly. She punched him.”</p><p>“Seriously?” Lena exclaimed.</p><p>“Well, we ran into each other at the bar and he came up behind me and put his hand on my ass,” Kara continued. “Alex didn’t know he was my boyfriend so she did what any protective older sister would do. She threatened to arrest him for sexual harassment, too, before I told her that we were dating.” Kara bit her lip for a long moment. “She’s still not his biggest fan, if we’re being honest.”</p><p>“Gotcha,” Lena said in understanding. “But if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara said thoughtfully, taking a sip of her own lemonade. Her lips twisted wryly, and Lena couldn’t tell if it was the tartness of the drink or something else that caused it. Before Lena could ask, Kara held her plate toward her. “Funnel cake?”</p><p>“Kara, I just ate a foot-long corn dog,” Lena groaned.</p><p>“So?” Kara asked. “I have seen you eat an entire pizza in one sitting, Luthor, so don’t tell me you don’t have any room left for dessert.”</p><p>Lena flushed, not only in embarrassment of her own appetite but at the rest of the memory Kara was referring to. The only time she had eaten an entire pizza in one sitting, she had been naked in Kara’s bed.</p><p>If Kara also remembered the context, she didn’t show it. She continued eating her funnel cake with gusto, laughing whenever Lena reached for her own bite. And as they stood from the bench and continued weaving their way through the festival, tasting wine and buying random things from the vendors, Kara never once showed any kind of awkwardness, never showed any hint that she was thinking of their shared past together. Meanwhile Lena had to focus much of her mental energy on compartmentalizing, shoving memories down into itty bitty boxes and forcing them to the back of her mind whenever Kara would laugh or smile, or when her eyes caught the afternoon light a certain way.</p><p>As the day turned into evening, the vendors all began packing away for the night and the festival attendants all made their way toward the park where a large stage had been erected beside a spacious grassy field. Kara and Alex went to get blankets from the car, leaving Sam and Lena with instructions to find the best spot.</p><p>“Are you having fun?” Sam asked once they were out of earshot.</p><p>“I am, actually,” Lena replied. “I needed this. Thank you for inviting me.”</p><p>“Even though Kara showed up?”</p><p>“Even though Kara showed up,” Lena agreed. “And even though you’ve been too far up your girlfriend’s ass to spend much time with me and I’ve spent most of my day with Kara. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”</p><p>Sam blushed, and then actually looked chagrined. “I’m sorry, honestly. I hadn’t noticed. I’m just—“</p><p>“You’re in love,” Lena said gently, and Sam nodded. “It’s really okay, Sam. I’m kind of glad Kara showed up, actually. The day has been far more enjoyable with her than it would’ve been playing third wheel to you two.”</p><p>“That wouldn’t happen to be because you’re still hopelessly in love with her, would it?” Sam asked.</p><p>“No,” Lena said forcefully. “No, Sam, I’m not in love with her.”</p><p>“Uh-huh, sure,” Sam scoffed.</p><p>“I can’t be,” Lena muttered. “Sam, you don’t know—“</p><p>“I would if you’d just tell me!” Sam exclaimed, drawing the attention of a group of teenagers they were walking by. Lena flushed red and ducked her head, and Sam sighed. “I’m sorry, I just… I talked to Alex after you ghosted Kara last year, and she was heartbroken, Lena. If I didn’t love you so much, I would’ve been furious with you for doing that to someone as sweet as Kara. And then every time I tried to ask you what happened, you would clam up.”</p><p>“It’s… complicated,” Lena replied morosely as they paused in the shade of a massive oak tree.</p><p>“Maybe it would help if you talked to somebody about it,” Sam suggested. “I am one of your best friends, right?”</p><p>Lena bit her lip. It went against every bit of Luthor training she had received since she was four years old. Luthors didn’t talk about their issues. They didn’t trust anyone outside the family with their problems— and they couldn’t trust anyone inside the family, either. But the pressure behind the dam inside her was building to a point, and she was pretty sure that if she didn’t release it somehow the results would be catastrophic.</p><p>“Okay, but you can’t tell Kara or Alex or <em>anyone</em>,” she warned, looking around to make sure they were out of earshot and that Kara and Alex weren’t coming back.</p><p>A few minutes later, Sam was seething. “What a bitch!”</p><p>“Sam, that’s my mother,” Lena sighed.</p><p>“Yeah, but even you know she’s a bitch,” Sam hissed. “Damn. No wonder you shut Kara out.”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Lena replied. “The only reason I agreed to stay for this weekend once she arrived was because she has a boyfriend. If Lillian tries to say anything about us being together, I can tell her that we’re not really, Kara’s seeing someone else.”</p><p>“And you really think that will work on your mother?” Sam asked.</p><p>Lena fidgeted uncomfortably. “No… Damn. I should go.”</p><p>“Hey, no, I didn’t mean that!” Sam exclaimed. “I just meant… I dunno… Maybe you should tell Kara all this.”</p><p>“No,” Lena said resolutely.</p><p>“I think she deserves to know what Lillian is holding over your head,” Sam argued.</p><p>“Kara doesn’t need to know because it’s not going to be an issue for her,” Lena declared. “We’re not going to be together, so there’s nothing for Lillian to be upset over. There’s no reason for her to go through with what she’s threatened to do.”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Sam hummed, but she was clearly unconvinced. “And did you ever think that maybe Kara deserves to have a choice in this? That she might not care what Lillian is threatening, that she might want to be with you anyway?”</p><p>“Kara doesn’t know my mother, thank goodness,” Lena sighed. “She doesn’t know how serious of a threat being blacklisted by her is. Believe me, I’m not worth Kara losing her entire future over.”</p><p>“I still think that should be her decision,” Sam said with a shrug.</p><p>“Promise me you won’t tell her,” Lena said, brows furrowed with concern.</p><p>Sam sighed in frustration. “I told you I wouldn’t. I promise.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>It was just in time, too, because Kara and Alex returned with their arms laden with blankets just a moment later. They spread two beneath the tree and piled the others nearby.</p><p>“It’s still hot out now, but in a couple of hours when the sun goes down the breeze off the harbor makes it pretty chilly,” Alex explained as she pulled Sam into her arms on their blanket.</p><p>Lena sat a reasonable distance away from Kara on the other blanket. “So who’s performing tonight?”</p><p>“Three groups that are pretty local,” Kara replied. “First there’s this indie band, they play stuff along the lines of the Avett Brothers and Hozier— you like Hozier, right?”</p><p>“I’m a card-carrying bisexual, of course I like Hozier,” Lena deadpanned, and Kara snorted. “What else?”</p><p>“There’s a country band around dinner time— don’t roll your eyes, they’re good. And then there’s a cover band doing songs from the seventies and eighties.”</p><p>“Mom’s super excited about that one,” Alex said with a giggle.</p><p>“You like them too, especially when they do Guns N’ Roses covers,” Kara rebutted. “They’re really good, they do everything from hard rock to pop, and they do it really well, especially for a bunch of retired dock workers.”</p><p>It wasn’t much longer before the first band began their set, and it was just as Kara had described it. Lena found herself humming along with some of the covers, though she hated her own singing voice, and she even liked the band’s original songs. She even bought one of their CDs from their tent when she and Sam got up to make a run to the bathroom between bands.</p><p>She agreed to let Kara pick their dinner, with the only stipulation being that she couldn’t get another funnel cake. She came back with a gyro for herself and— to everyone’s surprise— a souvlaki-topped salad for Lena. It was a thoughtful gesture, and one that made Lena’s ears pink even in the night chill. As the second band finished their set and the cool breeze Alex had warned of earlier made goosebumps rise on Lena’s arms, Kara surprised her by throwing one of the spare blankets around her shoulders before hopping up from the blanket.</p><p>“Be right back!” she called as she headed back toward the food trucks.</p><p>Ten minutes later she returned with four steaming cups. Coffee for Sam and Alex, hot cocoa for herself, and a steaming cup of tea for Lena.</p><p>“You remembered,” Lena murmured as she took a sip.</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” Kara said, grabbing her own blanket and scooting in close to Lena’s side. “Remembered that you like honey instead of sugar, too.”</p><p>Lena leaned into Kara’s side fondly. “Thank you. For this and for today. It’s been fun. I told Sam earlier, she was right, I needed to get away from everything for a bit.”</p><p>“Well, anytime you need a break, I’m here,” Kara told her. “Or if you just need someone to talk to.”</p><p>Lena hesitated for a moment, then offered Kara her phone. “Will you put your number in?”</p><p>Kara stared at the device for a moment, then took it and put her name in the contacts. She held it out in front of them, and Lena smiled as she took a photo of the two of them and added it to the entry.</p><p>“There,” Kara declared. “Now you know you’ve always got a friend you can call about anything.”</p><p>Lena let out a weak laugh. “Promise?”</p><p>Kara leaned further into her side. “Always.”</p><p>The band on stage started playing, opening with a bit of Van Halen before switching gears completely to Michael Jackson. It was a bit of musical whiplash, but the band was so talented that it was actually enjoyable. It was about halfway through the show, when Lena was starting to feel sleepy-comfortable from the wine she had drank throughout the day and the warm tea and Kara’s body heat beside her, that things took a turn.</p><p>“Now for an old favorite for our friends from across the pond,” the lead singer said into the microphone as the keyboardist started playing a familiar tune. It sent a chill down Lena’s spine, and she stiffened beside Kara as the vocalist began singing.</p><p>“<em>It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside…</em>”</p><p><em>It’s fine,</em> Lena told herself. <em>It’s fine, this is fine, everything is</em> fine.</p><p>And then Kara started singing softly beside her, her own faint voice louder than the band in Lena’s ears.</p><p>“<em>I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is now you’re in the world…</em>”</p><p>Lena was up and off the blanket so fast that her own brain barely recognized the decision to move. Perhaps her body was so used to running that her legs just made the decision for her. Either way, she was almost to the edge of the clearing before Kara caught up with her.</p><p>“Lena? Lena wait!”</p><p>She turned so quickly that Kara almost ran into her.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I’m sorry I’m so awkward and I’m sorry that I deleted your number and I’m sorry that I ghosted you and I’m sorry that I told you that I didn’t want to be in a relationship with you last year because I did. I did want that.”</p><p>Kara blinked slowly as she processed the information. “Oh.”</p><p>“I just… I was afraid. I’m still afraid,” Lena admitted. “I was afraid that if we were in a real relationship that you would realize that I’m not actually worth the effort that a long distance relationship takes.”</p><p>“Lena…”</p><p>“And then my mother showed up at my apartment last year,” Lena continued. “She thinks that me being in a relationship with a woman would reflect badly on the family and on LuthorCorp, so she threatened me.”</p><p>Kara’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Threatened you?”</p><p>“My mother, Lillian, she said that if I continued seeing you, she would contact all the big media outlets, all the newspapers, and blacklist you,” Lena explained. “I couldn’t let her do that, so I stopped texting you, stopped calling you. I deleted your contact information from my phone.”</p><p>“Can she do that? Your mother?” Kara asked.</p><p>“My mother knows a lot of very powerful, very influential people,” Lena said with a nod. “I shouldn’t have even come here.”</p><p>Kara reached out and took her hand, like she was afraid Lena might run off again. “No, Lena, I’m glad you came. I’m glad you told me. I— You stopped messaging me to protect me? You— You wanted more with me?”</p><p>Lena nodded. “I did. I was just afraid.”</p><p>Kara stared at her with wide eyes for a long moment, more emotions than Lena could name flashing across her face. Then she frowned, and her brow set resolutely.</p><p>“I’m with Mike now,” she said, dropping Lena’s hand.</p><p>“I know,” Lena replied.</p><p>“He’s a good guy. He makes me happy.”</p><p>“I know, I didn’t tell you because I— I didn’t want to mess up what you have with him. I just… I thought you deserved to know the truth.”</p><p>Kara nodded in understanding. “I’m glad you told me.”</p><p>She didn’t look very happy about it. A sudden breeze blew her blonde hair around her face, and brought goosebumps to Lena’s skin. Lena rubbed along her arms, soothing the chill.</p><p>“Here,” Kara said, pulling off her flannel and placing it around Lena’s shoulders. “You look cold.”</p><p>Lena chuckled bitterly. “I clash with myself.”</p><p>Kara’s lips twisted wryly as she looked at Lena for a long moment, and for a split second Lena thought she might kiss her, maybe, just maybe. But then Kara sighed and turned back toward the stage.</p><p>“I think they’re wrapping up,” she said. “Let’s go get Sam and Alex, maybe we can get out of here before the crowd. Eliza’s probably already hitched a ride home with one of her friends from spin class.”</p><p>They did just that. Eliza hadn’t actually gone home yet, but they found her sitting in a booth with a woman who was selling her knitting. The drive home was quiet, as everyone was worn out from the day’s activities. It was only once they were inside and everyone began heading for their rooms that Lena recalled the other issue of Kara being here.</p><p>“I can sleep on the sofa,” Lena volunteered as they both realized how many bedrooms were available.</p><p>“No, you’re the guest, <em>I’ll</em> sleep on the sofa,” Kara argued.</p><p>“Kara, it’s <em>your</em> bedroom, I’m not kicking you out,” Lena sighed. “You know what, there’s two beds. Plus I slept in Alex’s bed last night anyway, I won’t even have to move. Like you said earlier today, we’re adults. We can share a room, come on.”</p><p>That’s how she ended up sharing a room with Kara Danvers yet again. She lay in bed, covers pulled up tight around her chin, as Kara freshened up in the bathroom down the hall and then came in and took her place in her own bed. They stayed like that for a long while, silent, but Lena could tell by the sound of Kara’s breathing that she wasn’t asleep.</p><p>“Why the stars?” she asked finally.</p><p>“You’ll think it’s silly,” Kara replied.</p><p>“I will not,” Lena promised and Kara sighed.</p><p>“Fine,” she said. “You know how I told you that Eliza and Jeremiah adopted me when I was twelve?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Lena answered.</p><p>“Well, they knew my parents because Jeremiah worked with my dad,” Kara told her. “They were both scientists for NASA— not astronauts, or anything, but they studied the stars. My dad taught me all kinds of stuff about stars, science, myths, everything. I was kind of obsessed. And then after they died… Well, I developed some really bad anxiety. I had never been afraid of the dark before, but suddenly I started having panic attacks every night. So Jeremiah, he got these glow in the dark stickers and put them on the ceiling so I wouldn’t be so afraid. It helped that they reminded me of my dad, too. By the time they finished up this room and moved me and Alex into it together, I was mostly over being afraid of the dark, but I kept them, just to remind me of him, and then later to remind me of Jeremiah.”</p><p>“That’s sweet,” Lena said into the darkness.</p><p>“Yeah?” Kara muttered. “What about you? Did you… I mean… Did you keep anything from your birth mom?”</p><p>Lena frowned as she tried to remember. “I had a teddy bear, I think. I brought it with me when Lionel came and got me, when the Luthors adopted me.”</p><p>“Do you still have it?”</p><p>Lena shook her head, then realized that Kara couldn’t see her. “No. Lillian took it shortly after I arrived. She said it was dirty and needed washing. She never gave it back.”</p><p>There was a long moment of silence, and then Kara spoke again. “Lena?”</p><p>“Mmhmm?”</p><p>“No offense, but your mom sounds like a bitch.”</p><p>Lena snorted with laughter. “Well, you’re not wrong.”</p><p>They lay in silence for a few minutes more. “Lena?”</p><p>“Mmhmm?”</p><p>“I’m glad you told me… what you told me earlier tonight.”</p><p>“Yeah?” Lena replied.</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara said into the darkness. “Do you ever think…? Well… Nevermind.”</p><p>Lena wanted to reply, because even without hearing the rest of the question she knew what Kara was asking. She wanted to say yes. Yes, she thought about what might have happened between them all the time.</p><p>Instead she turned over in bed until her back was toward the rest of the room. “Goodnight, Kara.”</p><p>There was a long pause, then, “Goodnight, Lena.”</p><p>And that was all that she said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. August 16, 2013</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Historically, August was one of the driest months in National City, with most years having no rain whatsoever during that particular month. But that didn’t feel like the case as Lena stood in the middle of a downpour outside Noonan’s Cafe.</p><p>“Lena? What are you doing here?”</p><p>The question broke through the fog that Lena had existed in for the past several hours, the past several days if she were being honest with herself— which she wasn’t. It tore through the layers, down to the softest, most vulnerable part of her, the pieces she had tried so hard to bury and never show anyone.</p><p>Kara Danvers had a way of breaking through to those pieces.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Lena answered, and it was mostly honest.</p><p>She knew how she had gotten there, though she wasn’t sure why. She remembered leaving the cemetery and going back to the Luthor mansion for her things. She remembered the drive back into Metropolis, and she remembered telling her driver to take her to the airport. She remembered going to the ticket counter and buying a one-way ticket to National City. She didn’t really remember the flight there, though she knew that she hadn’t slept— she hadn’t slept for three days now. She remembered getting a cab to Kara’s apartment, remembered taking the elevator up and knocking on the door. And she remembered the hollow feeling in her chest when there had been no response.</p><p>By the time she got back downstairs, the cab had gone. She had considered calling another, but instead decided to wander down the street a bit. She had popped into Al’s Bar, a little place that Kara had taken her to on her last visit, and quickly downed three glasses of scotch before heading back outside.</p><p>The rain had just started at that point, and it was barely a drizzle, so Lena continued on her trek. Though she didn’t have an umbrella, the alcohol in her belly kept her pleasantly warm, and her dulled senses made her care even less than she had before the drinks.</p><p>At least, she didn’t care until she came to stand outside of Noonan’s, and saw a familiar head of golden hair through the window.</p><p>Kara had taken her to Noonan’s twice on her last visit to National City, two years earlier. She had insisted Lena try their sticky buns, and their coffee, admonishing Lena for liking her coffee black while she ordered some atrociously sweet concoction that barely contained any coffee at all. She had told Lena all about working in the cafe while she was in college, about the burn on her arm from errant steam escaping the espresso machine, about the customer who always brought in his golden retriever service dog, about the woman who always ordered a cold hot chocolate that was basically chocolate milk over ice. It was a nice place, made even nicer by Kara’s fondness for it.</p><p>Lena had thought she might find Kara there. What she hadn’t planned for, however, was for Kara to not be alone.</p><p>Kara was sitting perpendicular to the window, at one of the small tables made for only two people. The plate in front of her was empty, and she was leaning over the table slightly toward her… her…</p><p><em>Her date</em>, Lena told herself, because how could it be anything else? Kara was dressed in a knit pink dress, her hair was pulled back in a curled ponytail, and she was smiling and laughing at whatever her date was showing her on the screen of his digital camera. Her <em>date</em>— the thought made a bitter taste rise up in Lena’s mouth— was handsome, Lena had to give him that, obviously tall from the way he folded awkwardly in the spindly cafe chair, muscular. In another universe, Lena could see herself being interested in someone like him. In this universe, however, his presence made her feel sick to her stomach.</p><p>A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed closely by a rumble of thunder, and then the bottom fell out of the clouds and the rain went from a soft drizzle to a downpour in less than a second. Anyone else stuck outside would’ve immediately run for cover, but Lena was frozen in place. Because when the thunder sounded, Kara had looked up from the camera screen and out the window. And when she looked out the window, she saw Lena.</p><p>Lena could see the recognition break on the blonde’s face, read the shape of her lips as she said Lena’s name aloud. Their eyes met for a long moment as lightning flashed yet again and Lena could feel her heart hammering in her chest.</p><p>But then Kara’s date turned to look as well, and as his gaze on her was like a cold bucket of water to the system, even more shocking than the raindrops currently soaking through her coat.</p><p>She made it halfway down the block before she heard Kara’s voice behind her, and the urge to keep fleeing was strong, <em>so strong</em>. But then the rolling suitcase she had been dragging around the city for hours now hit a bump in the sidewalk and the wheels jammed, and Lena’s shoulder popped uncomfortably in its socket as she was brought to an abrupt stop that allowed Kara to catch up with her.</p><p>Kara came to a stop a few feet away, eyes wide and shimmering even in the shadow of the giant polka-dotted umbrella she was standing under.</p><p>“Lena?” she said, her voice thick with shock. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Lena replied, but it wasn’t the whole truth. She didn’t know why, when her whole world felt like it was falling down around her, she felt the unbearable need to get on a plane and fly across the country to Kara, but here she was.</p><p>“Lena, you’re getting soaked,” Kara said, stepping forward so that Lena was under the umbrella. “And you’re shivering! Come on, let’s get you inside.”</p><p>“I should’ve called. I didn’t mean to interrupt your date,” Lena said quickly, stepping away from Kara and back into the deluge. “I should go.”</p><p>“My date?” Kara asked, brow furrowing, then she shook her head. “Oh, James! He’s not my date, he’s just a friend.”</p><p>Lena blinked until the rain fell from her lashes. “And Mike?”</p><p>“I broke up with him last year,” Kara replied. “Come on, we should go inside.”</p><p>That was how Lena found herself, ten minutes later, wrapped in Kara’s jacket, sitting in a booth inside Noonan’s with a mug of hot tea in her hands and a warm half-eaten sticky bun on a plate in front of her. The rain continued pounding against the window beside her, but Lena couldn’t find it in herself to care as she breathed in the familiar scent of Kara’s perfume mixed with fabric softener on the collar of her jacket.</p><p>“This isn’t a good idea, Kara.”</p><p>Lena looked up from her cup at the sound of Kara’s <em>friend</em> James’s raised voice. He and Kara had been arguing now for several minutes, ever since Kara had brought Lena back into the restaurant and sequestered her in the corner booth. Their voices were low, in an attempt to hide their argument, but Lena had seen enough spats to know what it looked like.</p><p>“It’s none of your business, James,” Kara hissed in response.</p><p>“Kara, I saw you the first time she ghosted you and I saw you when you got back from Midvale last year. You were heartbroken.”</p><p>“I was fine,” Kara argued, but James ignored her.</p><p>“I don’t understand why you keep doing this to yourself. What is it about this girl?”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Kara huffed.</p><p>“I think it does,” James said. He dropped his voice low, but the deep baritone carried. “You love her, don’t you?”</p><p>Kara’s voice dropped so quiet that Lena couldn’t hear her no matter how hard she tried. Either way, Lena wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. Kara couldn’t love her, <em>shouldn’t</em> love her.</p><p>But that was why she was here.</p><p>“You’re shivering again.”</p><p>Lena looked up to see the door open and close behind Kara as James left the cafe. Kara shifted from one foot to the other above her, and the umbrella in her hands dripped a large puddle onto the tile beside the booth.</p><p>“I’m okay,” Lena lied, downing the last of her tea.</p><p>“Finished?” Kara asked, and Lena nodded in agreement. “Let’s get you back to my place and you can change into something dry.”</p><p>“You don’t have to do that,” Lena said, looking down at the table in front of her. “I don’t mean to impose.”</p><p>“Hey, Lena.” Kara tucked her hand beneath Lena’s chin and gently turned her face back up until she was forced to make eye contact. “I want to, okay?”</p><p>Lena shifted uncomfortably on the vinyl seat. “My father died.”</p><p>Kara’s expression softened even further. “I know. I saw it on the news. I was going to text you in a few days, see how you were doing, but I didn’t want to intrude while you were with your family.”</p><p>Lena nodded. Of course she had seen it on the news. Every channel had reported on her father’s death, had dissected both his personal life and business practices until every detail was brought to light, every skeleton pulled from the closets, every stone turned over and over until it was worn away to dust. “I, um, I just needed…”</p><p>She wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence. She knew what her brain wanted to say: <em>You, I just needed you</em>, but that was opening a can of worms that her heart wasn’t ready to dive into. But Kara seemed to understand, at least somewhat.</p><p>“I know,” she said. “Come on, let’s go.”</p><p>Lena’s suitcase, as it turned out, was water-<em>resistant</em> but not water-<em>proof</em>, meaning that when she began digging through her clothes back in Kara’s apartment, they were all just as soaked as the ones she was wearing. Kara had just laughed at the absurdity of the situation before pulling a set of her pajamas from a drawer and pressing them into Lena’s arms.</p><p>“Go take a hot shower, and I’ll hang these up,” she said, scooting Lena toward the bathroom.</p><p>Which was why, fifteen minutes later, Lena emerged from the bathroom along with a cloud of steam, wearing a threadbare Midvale Stallions t-shirt and rolled up flannel pajama bottoms, to the sight of all her clothes, underwear included, hung on a line that stretched the entire length of Kara’s studio apartment. Kara was just finishing, hanging one dripping polka-dotted thong directly over the kitchen table.</p><p>“Um… Hi,” Lena said awkwardly.</p><p>“Hi,” Kara greeted in return, pointedly ignoring the undergarments hanging less than a foot from her head. Instead she tugged awkwardly at the bottom of her pajama top. “Feel better?”</p><p>“Much, thank you,” Lena replied.</p><p>“So… Netflix?” Kara asked, gesturing to the sofa.</p><p>A soft smile tugged at the corners of Lena’s lips for the first time in days. “That would be great.”</p><p>Kara’s sofa was big enough that they could easily sit on opposite ends and not touch at all, but of course that wasn’t an option for the blonde. She sat on one end and reached for Lena with grabby hands, and Lena could only laugh as she was pulled into Kara’s warm embrace. It was a different type of warmth, more than the hot water of the shower, more than the dry clothes she had been given. It was a warmth that pervaded into Lena’s very soul, combatting the cold numbness that she had felt for the last week. Kara pulled a thick blanket over them both and flipped on a nature documentary about swans before settling back and folding herself around Lena’s body.</p><p>“Did you know that swans mate for life?” Kara murmured into her ear as the two large birds on the screen walked alongside their fluffy cygnets.</p><p>“Good for them,” Lena muttered into the fuzzy blanket. She fidgeted with the fleece and shifted as a wrinkle in her pajama bottoms pressed into her skin. A restless energy began to fill her, as if it too had been frozen, locked deep inside her for days and was now free and wild in her chest and aching to escape. The apartment felt much too small, and Lena was filled with the ridiculous urge to open the window and leap from the fire escape, as if she would fly away instead of crashing to the pavement below.</p><p>Suddenly she stood from the sofa, tossing the blanket back over Kara with more force than necessary. She needed to move, needed to run, but all she could do was pace circles in front of Kara’s sofa.</p><p>“Lena?” Kara called, her voice thick with concern.</p><p>Lena froze mid-stride and turned to her. Her heart was hammering in her chest as words came bubbling to the surface. “I’m a Luthor.”</p><p>Kara blinked owlishly. “I know that.”</p><p>“No, I mean, I’m <em>really</em> a Luthor,” Lena repeated. “Lionel was my father. Biologically.”</p><p>Kara stared at her for a moment, processing. “Oh.”</p><p>“It came out when his will was read, and Lillian told me the whole truth,” Lena continued, and then the story as it had been told to her came pouring out like the deluge still falling outside. “My mother was an intern at LuthorCorp. My father had an affair with her. Lillian found out, but my mother was already pregnant with me. He paid her, a kind of child support I guess, and when she died he brought me to live with his family. But they decided to pretend I was adopted, so nobody would know about the affair. He never even told me…”</p><p>Lena’s voice broke, and Kara sat up, reaching for her. She stepped back, out of reach.</p><p>“I can’t… I don’t know…” Lena choked on her sobs as they ripped from her chest. “He wasn’t a good man. He could be cold and mean and downright cruel. He did horrible things, in business, in life. But… but he took me for ice cream every time I lost a tooth. He came to every chess match. He made sure my bedroom was painted my favorite colors. He brought me flowers for my graduation. He… He was my father, he was <em>mine</em>, and I never knew, and now he’s gone.”</p><p>This time when Kara pulled her into her arms, Lena didn’t fight it. She sank into Kara’s warmth and let it surround her and fill her senses, even as she cried into the other woman’s shoulder.</p><p>“It’s okay,” Kara murmured into her hair. “You’re still allowed to mourn him, even if he did bad things. He was still your father. The good, the bad… He was human. And so are you.”</p><p>That just made Lena cry that much harder, until her entire body ached from the sobbing and her eyes burned from it. When her tears finally dried up, Lena sniffled against the damp spot on Kara’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m such a mess.”</p><p>“Stop apologizing,” Kara ordered, but her tone was light. “You’re allowed to be a mess.”</p><p>“No, I’m not,” Lena scoffed. “It’s been over a week since he died and I hadn’t cried until just now. I couldn’t. Not around my mother, or my brother. Not in front of my father’s friends and colleagues. Not in front of the news cameras. I couldn’t… I couldn’t <em>feel</em> anything, couldn’t <em>let</em> myself feel anything. I just had to hold it all in.”</p><p>“Well, you don’t have to hold it all in around me,” Kara told her.</p><p>“I know,” Lena murmured. “That’s why I came. I can feel things around you.” She swallowed hard, and her voice became little more than a whisper. “I do feel things… around you.”</p><p>It was a loaded statement, Lena knew. Kara’s eyes widened and Lena could see the confliction in their blue depths as she assessed what Lena said, and contemplated what she didn’t. Then her gaze dropped to Lena’s lips, and back up again.</p><p>“You’ve been crying,” she said simply.</p><p>“Yes,” Lena replied.</p><p>“I shouldn’t kiss you if you’ve been crying.”</p><p>Lena wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry more. “What if I kiss you? Would that be okay?”</p><p>Kara looked down at her lips again and nodded. “Yeah, I think that would be—“</p><p>Lena cut her off with her lips. Then, for a long moment, they both froze, in shock or in awe or a little bit of both. Lena felt a chill run down her spine at the sensation. She had almost forgotten how soft Kara’s lips were, how warm they felt against her own, how they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Then Kara groaned and parted her lips and <em>God</em> the taste of her— coffee and cocoa and sweetness— filled Lena’s senses until she couldn’t get enough.</p><p>In a moment they were lying on the couch, Lena above Kara, though whether Lena pushed or Kara pulled wasn’t entirely clear. Not that it really mattered. All Lena knew was that all she wanted, more than anything in the world, was to sink into Kara’s warmth, to melt away until everything else was gone and she could stay here, like this, always. Her hands pressed into the lithe, pliant body beneath her and pushed Kara’s shirt up so that she could touch skin. Kara’s abdominal muscles flexed beneath her fingers and the blonde groaned beneath her.</p><p>Lena swallowed every sound, soaked in every touch as she reacquainted herself with Kara’s body. She got caught up in how soft the blonde was, perfect breasts topped with dusty pink nipples— and the sounds Kara made when she touched them sent shivers down Lena’s spine. Then Lena’s hands trailed down, back over sinewy muscle beneath satiny skin, until she tugged at the drawstring of Kara’s pajama bottoms.</p><p>Lena pulled back, although every instinct and desire urged her not to. Below her, Kara’s eyes were black with desire, barely a hint of blue iris remaining, her skin was flushed all the way to her ears and down her neck, and her lips were kiss-swollen, pink and puffy.</p><p>“Can I?” Lena asked, pulling at the drawstring until the knot came loose.</p><p>“You don’t have to,” Kara murmured, her own hands digging into the soft swell of Lena’s hips.</p><p>“But I want to,” Lena told her, pressing a kiss to her ruddy cheek, only to slide further back and suck the soft part of Kara’s ear between her lips and teeth.</p><p>“Yes,” Kara groaned. “Yes, <em>God, yes</em>.”</p><p>Lena didn’t hesitate after that. She tucked her hand beneath Kara’s waistband, beneath the lacy boyshorts she felt underneath. Her fingers traced through coarse, damp curls and hot, swollen flesh.</p><p>“You feel so good,” Lena murmured as she slipped through Kara’s wetness.</p><p>“Lena, <em>please</em>,” Kara groaned, hips bucking up into Lena’s hand.</p><p>Lena grinned and a thrill raced up her spine at the vision below her. Her fingers circled Kara’s clit once, twice, three times, and the blonde bucked again, keening wildly as she sought more direct pressure.</p><p>“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Lena groaned. She lowered her head and captured Kara’s mouth in another kiss just as she slid two fingers inside her. She swallowed Kara’s moans as her fingers started moving, fucking the blonde with everything she had. Kara trembled beneath her for a long minute before her hips started to buck up into Lena’s hand, meeting her thrust for thrust. Lena took that as a sign for more and added a third finger, which made Kara cry out with pleasure and tremble around her. Lena could feel the tightening of the body beneath her, could hear Kara’s approaching orgasm in every cry just as easily as she could feel it in the fluttering muscles around her fingers. She angled her hand, adjusting her thrusts until the heel of her palm ground down against Kara’s clit.</p><p>“Lena!” Kara shouted just as her body hit its peak. She was stunningly beautiful in her ecstasy, blonde hair spread like a halo across the sofa cushions, muscles taut, mouth open in a silent scream, eyes wide and staring up at Lena with a mixture of bliss and awe. Her legs clamped together, holding Lena’s hand hostage as her pussy spasmed around the invading digits. Lena moved her fingers as much as she could, gently coaxing Kara through the pleasure and the aftershocks that followed.</p><p>Finally Kara’s entire body relaxed back into the sofa. Her legs fell open, releasing Lena’s hand from their vice-like hold even as the flesh between them continued to spasm. Lena withdrew gently, careful in case Kara was overly-sensitive, and then pulled her glistening fingers free of Kara’s pajamas. She traced lines of slick over Kara’s stomach, then wiped the rest nonchalantly on her own pants before looking up at Kara again.</p><p>“Hi,” Kara whispered. Lena thought that the blonde’s voice, rough from screaming out her orgasm, was the sexiest thing she had ever heard.</p><p>“Hi yourself,” Lena replied with a grin. She shifted her weight, and the movement brought her center flush against Kara’s thigh, bringing her attention to her own wetness and throbbing clit. Her breath caught in her throat and she bit back a groan.</p><p>Kara hummed low in her throat and ran her hands up Lena’s hips. “Give me a minute and I’ll take care of that.”</p><p>Lena’s grin turned soft. “You don’t have to.”</p><p>“But I want to,” Kara replied, turning her own words back on her.</p><p>Lena bent and kissed her again, slow and languorously. Each stroke of lips and tongue fanned the flames of Lena’s desire, but it wasn’t raging out of control— not yet. Not until Kara pulled her lips away and looked up with her own eyes blazing almost neon blue.</p><p>“Bedroom,” she said simply, and Lena nodded in agreement. She rose on shaky knees and Kara followed suit before grabbing Lena’s hand and pulling her through the curtains that divided the studio apartment.</p><p>Lena smiled as she tugged the covers down and sat on the edge of Kara’s bed. “How do you want me?”</p><p>Kara stepped forward and cupped Lena’s jaw in her hands. “Naked.”</p><p>Lena hummed in agreement as Kara bent to kiss her. Piece by piece they divested themselves of their clothing, only parting from their kiss when fabric got in the way. When finally they were both naked, Lena could feel the goosebumps rise up on Kara’s skin against her own as they pressed further back onto the bed. Kara held herself suspended above Lena for a long moment before collapsing beside her, only keeping Lena’s jaw cupped in her hand so that their lips wouldn’t part. The blonde ran her fingers from Lena’s jaw, down her neck and across her chest, ghosting over her breasts and just barely brushing the tips before dipping lower. Her touch was so light that it tickled the soft skin of Lena’s stomach, making her suck in a sharp gasp of air and bow her body away from Kara’s touch. Kara just grinned against Lena’s lips even as her light touch drifted lower still.</p><p>“<em>Kara</em>,” Lena keened, her body arching off the bed as deft fingers fluttered against the curls between her legs but delved no further.</p><p>“I want to try something,” Kara murmured, her voice husky with arousal but still somewhat shy. Under any other circumstance Lena might’ve taken the time to wonder what could make the woman she was knuckle-deep inside of not fifteen minutes before blush, but not now. Not with arousal zinging through her veins like an electric current seeking any contact point.</p><p>“Anything,” she replied, her own voice breathy and barely above a whisper.</p><p>Even in the dim room, lit only by the golden glow of Kara’s bathroom nightlight, Lena could see the spark of excitement flair in Kara’s eyes. The blonde moved away, sitting up in bed, and rearranged Lena’s legs and her own before lowering herself down slowly.</p><p>“I’ve never done this before,” Kara huffed as she moved, sliding their centers together awkwardly, seeking the right angle.</p><p>“Neither have I,” Lena replied, equal parts curious and aroused. As Kara moved tentatively, Lena arched her hips, bringing her pelvis up until…</p><p>At the first touch of her clit against Kara’s, Lena nearly came off the bed. She gasped as need filled her and her body began writhing, desperately seeking friction. Between them it was hot, wet, slippery, and absolutely perfect— or at least Lena thought it was until Kara reached down and pulled her thigh up and over, opening her up even further so there was even more contact between them.</p><p>“Fuck! Kara!” Lena cried. The sensation grew and grew, and normally she would try to close her legs, to control the tsunami threatening to break over her, but Kara kept her spread open.</p><p>“Look at me, Lena,” Kara ordered. “Look at me when you come.”</p><p>Lena’s eyes flew open, taking in the sight above her. Kara held herself up with one arm, the other held Lena’s thigh, fingers digging in so hard that Lena was sure she would bruise. Kara’s body undulated above her, sweat breaking out over golden skin, abs flexing with every motion, breasts bouncing with the force of her movements. Her face was taut with concentration and pleasure as she chased her own orgasm.</p><p>Lena reached for her, pulling her close, nails digging into tense shoulders. Kara let her pull her, until their movements became smaller, tighter, more frantic. Finally Lena grasped for Kara’s hand, gripping her knuckles even as Kara gripped the sheet.</p><p>“Come with me,” Lena ordered. “I’m so close, Kara, come with me.”</p><p>Kara fixed her eyes on Lena’s as she moved once, twice, three times more until it all became too much for both of them.</p><p>“Yes, oh God, <em>yes</em>, Kara,” Lena cried as she came, and she could feel Kara’s sex spasming against her own as the body in her arms went stiff. She was vaguely aware of the sound of Kara’s voice in her ear, but she could barely discern the sound of the blonde’s shouts from her own as they continued to rock together, chasing the last little bits of ecstasy between them. For a long moment, Kara hung suspended in the air above her, until finally those tense muscles gave out with exhaustion and she collapsed into a heap atop Lena’s body.</p><p>“<em>Oof! </em>Sorry,” Kara huffed sheepishly, but she made no motion to move. Lena didn’t mind— quite the contrary, Kara’s weight was warm and grounding as the cool air from the bedroom began to chill the sweat on her skin. She wrapped her arms around the blonde, holding her tight, unwilling to let her go. Kara, seeming to sense her reluctance, moved carefully, untangling their bodies ever so slightly before easing herself down into Lena’s embrace. Her head rested on Lena’s chest, just above the swell of her breast, and their bodies fit perfectly against one another.</p><p>“Mmm, blanket,” Lena muttered, and Kara huffed through her nose again, stretching to reach the covers without moving from Lena’s arms. Somehow she managed, and she tucked sheets and comforter around them.</p><p>They laid like that for a long time, what felt like hours but were likely only minutes. Lena’s breathing evened out and exhaustion swept through every fiber of her being. Kara’s breath was even, warm rhythmic puffs against the skin of her chest that sent a bolt of comfort through Lena’s heart. Here, in Kara’s bed, wrapped wrapped in Kara’s sheets and Kara’s body— it felt good, it felt right, it felt—</p><p>“Don’t go,” Kara murmured, startling Lena— she thought the blonde had fallen asleep.</p><p>“I’m not moving,” Lena replied.</p><p>“No, I mean, don’t <em>go</em>,” Kara repeated, making no more sense than the first time she made her request. “Don’t leave in the middle of the night. Stay. Until tomorrow morning.”</p><p>A cold, brittle knife pierced the warm bubble around Lena’s heart. It was a weapon of her own making— Kara knew her too well, so well that she had anticipated Lena’s panic before she even felt it herself. “It might be easier if I left.”</p><p>“Easier for you,” Kara sighed. “In the morning you can call the airport and make a reservation. I’ll take you. But for tonight… stay with me. Let me wake up beside you.”</p><p>She shouldn’t agree. Now that the fog of her grief had passed, and the blaze of desire was gone, she knew that she was walking on thin ice staying here with Kara. Every moment chipped away at her resolve to stay away, to keep her distance, and perhaps Kara knew this. Perhaps this was a calculated attack on Lena’s defenses.</p><p>The blonde grunted in exhaustion and eased herself off Lena’s body and onto the bed beside her. Already Lena could see the cold mask slipping over Kara’s features, the same one she had worn when Lena left Midvale months before, and when Lena had left National City the year before that. It was Kara’s shield, not nearly as neutral as Lena’s own, the face she wore when she was trying to hide how hurt she felt on the inside.</p><p>Kara Danvers didn’t have a calculating, manipulative bone in her body.</p><p>“Okay,” Lena murmured, turning and pressing closer into Kara’s side.</p><p>Sleepy blue eyes widened in surprise. “Okay?”</p><p>“I’ll stay,” Lena said, kissing her shoulder. “But I can only stay for tonight. I have to go back to Cambridge.”</p><p>“I know,” Kara sighed, but she seemed much happier. She turned and pulled Lena into her arms. “But at least I get tonight.”</p><p>“Yes, you get tonight,” Lena replied. But inside she knew the truth.</p><p>Kara Danvers had so much more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. August 23, 2014</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena hated being the center of attention. She still remembered the first time after she was adopted by the Luthors that she had been dressed up and taken to an important event. Lillian had ordered that her hair be curled, even though her baby-fine hair wouldn’t hold the shape, and she had worn a green velvet dress with so many god-awful bows on the skirt and patent leather Mary Janes with pristine white socks topped with the scratchiest lace Lena had ever felt. She had hated that dress, hated those shoes, and, above all else, <em>hated</em> those socks with all the passion that a four-year-old could muster. Lionel had called her his beautiful girl, Lex said she looked like a porcelain doll, and Lillian had pinched her upper arm until it bruised and she learned to stand still and stop fidgeting.</p><p>Even nineteen years later, Lena had never quite gotten used to being the center of attention, had never quite learned how to behave at such events. For example, it wasn’t exactly proper etiquette to flee the room directly after a proposal of marriage, leaving the man doing the proposing kneeling in the center of the room in front of your entire family and many business associates, but that was what Lena had done.</p><p>Metropolis was still warm, the heat of the day clinging to the asphalt and concrete and radiating into the air above the city. Even on the balcony outside LuthorCorp’s executive suite, she couldn’t escape it, but even so the heat was preferable to the oppressive air inside. Lena could still feel all of the eyes on her, expectant, impatient, waiting for an answer that she never gave. There were no words caught in Lena’s throat, no <em>yes</em> or even <em>no</em> fighting her nerves to escape. Instead there was nothing but surprise and indecisiveness gnawing at the pit of her stomach.</p><p>“It was a lovely proposal.”</p><p>Lena almost bit her tongue in half at the sound of her mother’s voice, but she managed to mask her discomfort with indifference. Her spine stiffened and she turned away from the railing.</p><p>“It was,” she agreed. “Unexpected, but lovely. Very thoughtful.”</p><p>“And yet you didn’t say yes,” Lillian pointed out.</p><p>Lena’s jaw ached with how hard she ground her teeth together. “Like I said, it was unexpected.”</p><p>“You could do worse,” Lillian told her. The champagne-colored taffeta of the older woman’s dress rustled as she moved to stand near the balcony a few feet from Lena. “You could do better, too, but I know how you are.”</p><p>“And how am I?” Lena asked, standing straighter.</p><p>Lillian leveled her with a measuring expression. “You’re a romantic. So you’ll settle for less when it’s someone you have feelings for, rather than aim for a better match.”</p><p>Lena scoffed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing to love your spouse.”</p><p>“I loved your father,” Lillian said evenly. “And he loved me. And yet here you stand.”</p><p>Lena frowned at that. “Why are you here, Mother?”</p><p>“To make sure you make the right choice,” Lillian replied. “You should say yes.”</p><p>Lena shook her head. “I need time to think.”</p><p>She turned to head back inside and was almost to the door when Lillian spoke again.</p><p>“I know what you’re thinking about.”</p><p>Lena sighed. “Right now I’m thinking about going inside and getting a drink and telling Jack that I need a bit of time to consider his proposal.”</p><p>“He’s so head over heels for you, he might actually believe that,” Lillian said nonchalantly. “No, I mean, I know what you’re <em>really</em> thinking about. You’re thinking about that little blonde wanna-be reporter, aren’t you?”</p><p>Lena tried to keep her cool, she really did. But something about Lillian’s tone sent chills down her spine. “I haven’t thought of her in a long time.”</p><p>“No?” Lillian said. “It’s been a year since your father died, that’s not a very long time at all in the grand scheme of things.”</p><p>Lena turned away from the door again. “I don’t know what—“</p><p>“<em>Don’t</em> lie to me, Lena,” Lillian hissed, her voice a warning. “You’ve never been any good at it.”</p><p>Lena took a deep breath. “Fine. I was with her. I was <em>distraught</em>. It was a moment of weakness, and I—“</p><p>“And what about in Midvale, two years ago?” Lillian asked.</p><p>Lena ground her teeth again. “Kara was dating someone else. We were there together but we weren’t <em>together</em>. We never have been. I’ve hardly even spoken to her over the last year, I’ve been too busy with work and with Jack and… I’ve done everything I can to forget her.”</p><p>“But you’re still hung up on her,” Lillian said pointedly. “You have a perfectly acceptable man asking you to marry you, and yet you can’t let go of one little summer romance.”</p><p>“What are you going to do, Mother? Threaten me again?” Lena asked.</p><p>Lillian scoffed. “Oh no, darling girl. I’ve never threatened you. Threats are just empty words with no follow through.”</p><p>Lena could practically feel the blood as it fled from her face. “What have you done?”</p><p>“I did exactly what I said that I would do,” Lillian replied, looking pointedly at her perfectly-manicured fingernails. “There’s a reason that little trollop will never be more than Cat Grant’s personal assistant.”</p><p>Lena couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her throat at her mother’s words. Lillian looked back at her and let out an exhausted sigh.</p><p>“You’d do well to marry Jack, Lena,” she said simply. “Think about it, darling, but not for too long.”</p><p>With that, Lillian disappeared back into the building, leaving Lena in a cloud of her overbearing perfume. But that wasn’t the reason Lena couldn’t breathe. She felt as if Lillian’s words had knocked the air from her lungs and there was no more oxygen to draw back in. Her knees fell from under her, and she couldn’t bring herself to care if the concrete below her damaged the green silk of her dress.</p><p>That was how Andrea found her, five minutes later, knees tight to her chest in spite of the tight-fitting gown she was wearing, still struggling for breath, tears streaming down her face.</p><p>“Shit,” Andrea hissed. “Lena, breathe, calm down, it’s okay, just breathe, in-out, in-out. Shh, you’re okay.”</p><p>“She did it,” Lena rasped when she could finally breathe enough to speak. “She actually did it, oh my God.”</p><p>“Lillian?” Andrea clarified, and Lena nodded. “What the hell did she do now?”</p><p>Lena took a deep breath and then let it all out, recounting the conversation with Lillian. She had told Andrea about her mother’s threat’s when they were first made, so while she still curled her lip in disgust, her friend wasn’t surprised by the reveal.</p><p>“<em>Qué hija de re-mil puta</em>," Andrea muttered. She was sitting beside Lena on the concrete balcony, uncaring if her own bright pink dress got damaged or dirty. “I knew from that smug smile she had on her face when she came back inside that she had done something evil, but I didn’t think it was that.”</p><p>“I just can’t believe… I mean, I <em>can</em> believe but I don’t <em>want</em> to,” Lena huffed. “I’ve done it. I’ve fucked up Kara’s life just like I knew that I would.”</p><p>“Lena, sweetie, <em>you</em> didn’t fuck with her life, that was all your mother,” Andrea corrected.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Lena sniffed. “She wouldn’t have done it at all if I wasn’t in love with Kara in the first place.”</p><p>“Whoa, hang on, rewind,” Andrea exclaimed. “You’re in love with her, <em>chabona</em>?”</p><p>“Yes, I’m in love with her. I’ve been in love with her for years now. I thought you knew that.”</p><p>“Oh, I knew, I just didn’t know you were admitting it to yourself.” Andrea brushed back the loose hairs that had fallen from Lena’s updo.</p><p>Lena choked out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, look at me, I finally admit it on the night that I get proposed to by someone else.” She hiccoughed. “I’m a mess.”</p><p>“A little bit,” Andrea agreed.</p><p>“I can’t believe Jack asked me,” Lena murmured. “I mean, we’ve been dating for six months, but it just came out of the blue.”</p><p>Andrea’s brow wrinkled. “Do you love him?”</p><p>“I— Yes, maybe,” Lena replied. “I do love Jack. I do. And he’s good, better than good, he’s great, he’s a great guy. I just…”</p><p>“You love Kara, too,” Andrea finished for her.</p><p>“I know what life would be like with Jack,” Lena told her. “I would be happy, really. But… I don’t know what life would be like with Kara. I was always afraid to even give that possibility a chance because of my mother…” Lena’s voice trailed off. “But now that’s not holding me back.</p><p>Andrea’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“My mother has already meddled with Kara’s career,” Lena explained. “She’s already done what she threatened to do. So that threat’s no longer hanging over my head. I could…” Lea shook her head. “No, there’s no way Kara would want to be with me after my mother has fucked up her life.”</p><p>“Lena, from what I know about Kara, she’s not going to hold you responsible for something horrible your mother did,” Andrea replied. She bit her lip thoughtfully. “Listen, I know you care about Jack, and I know you could be happy with him, but we both know that that would be settling. And you, <em>corazón</em>, you deserve more than just settling.”</p><p>Lena sniffed back the tears. “You really think so?”</p><p>Andrea leaned over and kissed the side of Lena’s head. “I know you do.”</p><p>The door to the balcony opened again, and a familiar dark head poked out. As soon as Jack’s worried eyes landed on her, Lena’s heart filled with guilt. She struggled awkwardly to her feet.</p><p>“There you are,” he said, reaching down to help her up. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”</p><p>“I’m sorry to worry you,” Lena replied. “I just… The crowd was too much.”</p><p>“Yeah,” he sighed. “I shouldn’t have done it like that. I should’ve just asked when we were alone, but I thought, our friends and family are all here, and you just looked so beautiful… I couldn’t wait.”</p><p>“That’s okay,” Lena lied. “It was a lovely proposal, really. Just kind of unexpected. It feels sort of soon for such a big step, don’t you think?”</p><p>“Oh, I dunno. You know I’m crazy about you, Lena, and I thought, well…” Jack’s face fell. “You’re saying no, aren’t you?”</p><p>“No!” Lena exclaimed. “I mean… Well, I’m not ready to say yes yet, Jacky. I just…”</p><p>“She needs time to think.”</p><p>Lena and Jack both nearly jumped out of their skins as Andrea popped up beside them, both apparently having forgotten that she was there— Lena certainly had. But Andrea’s words gave Lena an idea.</p><p>“We’re going to take a little break and go to the beach this week,” she said quickly, turning back to Jack. “Girls’ week, you know. It’s our little tradition.”</p><p>“Oh, well, you hadn’t mentioned that,” Jack began.</p><p>“Well, we’ve been talking about going, I just wasn’t sure of the logistics. But I think a week to think will be enough, and I can get my head on straight, and be ready to give you an answer when I return,” Lena said. Then she lowered her voice and batted her eyelashes. “I hope that’s not too much to ask.”</p><p>“No, of course not. Anything for you, love,” Jack told her earnestly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. “You’ll wear this for me, though? As you think about it?”</p><p>He opened the box to reveal the ring inside. Lena hadn’t really paid attention to it when he proposed earlier, but now she stared at the ring: a large emerald-cut diamond set between two smaller emerald-cut diamonds, all on a thick gold band.</p><p>“Of course,” she replied mindlessly, holding her left hand out for him to slide the monstrosity onto her finger. Once in place it took up the entire space between her knuckles.</p><p>Jack grinned and kissed her knuckles. “Beautiful.”</p><p>She smiled nervously.</p><p>“We should probably get out of here and start packing,” Andrea interrupted. “Early flight and all.”</p><p>“Of course,” Jack nodded in agreement. “I’ll, um, tell your mother and brother that you weren’t feeling well.”</p><p>“Please,” Lena agreed. Jack bent to kiss her and she froze like a deer caught in headlights as his lips met hers, hot and moist and tasting of too much champagne. “I’ll text you, let you know when we’ve landed.”</p><p>“Alright, be safe,” he replied. He bent to kiss her forehead once again and his beard scraped her skin as he pulled away. Then he disappeared back inside.</p><p>“Oh my god,” Lena breathed, raising her hand to look at the ring on her finger.</p><p>“<em>Dios mío</em>, what a rock,” Andrea commented. “You hate it, don’t you?”</p><p>“I don’t hate it,” Lena said noncommittally. “It’s just… not what I would’ve chosen for myself, that’s all.”</p><p>“Mmhmm, you can’t lie to me, you hate it,” Andrea repeated, then she tugged on Lena’s arm. “So, <em>chabona</em>, what was all that about us going to the beach?”</p><p>Lena straightened her shoulders. “We’re going to National City. I need to see Kara. I need to know if there could ever be anything between us before I give Jack my answer.”</p><p>“Oh,” Andrea said, eyes wide. Then she shook her head. “Okay, so you go to National City and meet Kara, and then what?”</p><p>Lena shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “I’m just weighing my options.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“I should have all the data to make such a huge decision,” Lena said, thinking out loud. “The pros and cons of each choice.”</p><p>“Of course,” Andrea agreed, though she still looked a bit skeptical. “What about Jack?”</p><p>Lena’s face fell. “I don’t want to break his heart.”</p><p>“Better do it now than in twenty years when you realize you never should’ve married him in the first place, though,” Andrea muttered. “That’s what my mother did.”</p><p>“You may be right,” Lena sighed.</p><p>“You know I am,” Andrea said. “So are we doing this?”</p><p>Lena nodded resolutely. “Yes, let’s do this.”</p><p>“Great. Now, come on, before your mother comes back out here and tries to stop us.”</p><p>——</p><p>“You can do this. You’re <em>fearless</em>. You got this. You’re amazing. You deserve happiness. You—“</p><p>“I swear to God, Andrea, if you don’t shut up, I will punch you.”</p><p>Lena saw the cab driver glance up in the rear view mirror, but when she raised an eyebrow he quickly returned his gaze to the road. Beside her, Andrea sighed.</p><p>“I’m just trying to help,” she grumbled. “What did Kara’s message say?”</p><p>Lena looked down at her phone for the tenth time in as many minutes. She had contemplated just showing up at Kara’s door, but then she recalled how that had ended the last time she was in National City and decided against it. Instead she had sent Kara a text message as she and Andrea boarded their plane early that morning, letting her know that she was coming to town and would like to see her. Then she had turned her phone off for the flight and stewed in her own anxiety for the next five and a half hours. Finally, when the plane had touched down, she had checked her phone with a pounding heart and sweaty palms, to find one message in response from Kara.</p><p>“She said she has to help with something at CatCo this morning, but she’d be finished at twelve-thirty and I could meet her at the building,” Lena replied. “God, I can’t believe I’m doing this.”</p><p>“It’s going to be fine, better than fine, it’s going to be great, it’s going to—“</p><p>“<em>Andrea</em>,” Lena warned.</p><p>“Your destination, ladies,” the driver interrupted.</p><p>They pulled up in front of the tall building and Lena’s stomach felt like it was turning flips inside her.</p><p>“What time is it?” she demanded, looking at Andrea even though she had her own phone in her hand.</p><p>“Twelve twenty-eight,” her friend replied, looking at her watch and then out the window. “But it looks like your girl got done early.”</p><p>Lena turned to look out the window again just in time to see Kara exit the front doors of the building. The sunlight brought out the highlights in her blonde hair, and Lena could see the crinkle of concern in her brow, even from a distance.</p><p>“Go on, what are you waiting for?” Andrea asked, nudging Lena’s shoulder.</p><p>“I just…” Lena fidgeted in her seat for a moment, then straightened her spine and unfastened her seatbelt. “I can do this.”</p><p>“You can do this,” Andrea agreed.</p><p>“I deserve this.”</p><p>“You deserve this.”</p><p>“I love her. I— <em>Andrea what are you doing?</em>” Lena exclaimed as Andrea reached across her and opened the door of the cab. With one hefty push from her hips, Andrea forced Lena out of the cab with so much momentum that she almost busted her ass on the sidewalk. She barely managed to regain her balance at the last minute and swayed on her feet for a moment before turning and glaring back into the cab.</p><p>“Your pep talk was taking <em>forever!</em>” Andrea groaned. “I’ll text you when I get checked into the hotel. Now, go get your girl. Go!”</p><p>Without another word, Andrea slammed the door of the cab shut and gave an unintelligible order to the driver. The man took off without a backward glance, probably relieved to be free of at least one of his dramatic passengers.</p><p>“Lena?”</p><p>She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and then turned. Kara was standing a few feet away, hands clenched, trepidation clear in her eyes.</p><p>“Hi.” Lena shifted from one foot to the other nervously. “I, um… Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”</p><p>Kara opened her mouth, then closed it. She glanced toward the retreating taxi. “Was that Andrea?”</p><p>“Yeah, she’s, um, going to get a hotel room now,” Lena explained. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”</p><p>Kara looked at her pensively for a long moment, then sighed. “Sure. Come with me.”</p><p>They ended up at Noonan’s, tucked in the furthest back booth away from the sunlight streaming in through the front windows and the stares of any other patrons. Kara, ever the gentlewoman, ordered Lena a smoothie along with her own iced coffee concoction, and brought it back to the table with a flourish.</p><p>“Thank you,” Lena said as she stirred the drink. They sat in uncomfortable silence for several long minutes. Lena could feel the tension beginning to cramp in her shoulders, and Kara’s leg was twitching with so much force that the entire table was vibrating, yet she couldn’t seem to break the silence.</p><p>“I was surprised to get your text,” Kara said finally. “Happy, but surprised. I would’ve met you at the airport, but I had to scan some documents and send them to Miss Grant. She’s in London for the weekend.”</p><p>Lena swallowed a bit of her smoothie. “How is it, working for her?”</p><p>“It’s great,” Kara replied with a shrug. “I mean, I like it. I know CatCo’s not exactly known for its cutting edge journalism…”</p><p>“More like ‘High Waisted Jeans, Yes or No?’” Lena supplied.</p><p>Kara nodded. “But Miss Grant worked for <em>The Daily Planet</em> before she started CatCo. She was an amazing reporter and she knows her stuff. She’s demanding, but she also pushes people to grow and be better.” Kara paused and took a sip of her drink. “If I do well as her assistant for a few years, who knows? I might be able to move into another position at CatCo.”</p><p>Suddenly Lena’s smoothie tasted like ash on her tongue. “That’s, um… That’s one of the things I need to talk to you about, actually.”</p><p>Kara’s brow crinkled. “Oooooh-kay?”</p><p>Lena sighed and put her smoothie down with more force than necessary, making the drink slosh around violently. She could feel the anxiety buzzing just beneath her skin, and it made her hands fidget, so she tucked them down in her lap beneath the edge of the table.</p><p>“Do you, um, remember what I told you when we were in Midvale?” Lena asked. “About my mother?”</p><p>Kara’s brow crinkle became even more pronounced for a moment as she thought, then her eyes widened as realization hit her.</p><p>“Kara, I’m so sorry…” Lena said.</p><p>“Wait,” Kara interrupted. “Start from the beginning.”</p><p>“What I told you in Midvale… The threats my mother made…” Lena began.</p><p>“To interfere with my career, yeah, I remember,” Kara replied. “But that was only if we were together, right?”</p><p>Lena dug her nails into her thighs. “I thought so. But somehow she found out that we saw each other in Midvale—“</p><p>“But I was dating Mike then!” Kara exclaimed.</p><p>“I know, but apparently it doesn’t matter to my mother,” Lena told her. “And then there was last year after my father passed…”</p><p>“So… So what did she do, exactly?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Lena said helplessly. “I wish I did. My mother… She knows a lot of people in powerful positions, particularly in the media. LuthorCorp has always employed PR specialists but my mother also had her hand in it, even though she’s technically in charge of medical R and D.”</p><p>“Did she tell you or—?”</p><p>“In so many words,” Lena said. “Kara, I’m so—“</p><p>“But what did she say, exactly?” Kara demanded.</p><p>Lena stiffened her jaw. “She said there was a reason that you’d never be anything more than Cat Grant’s assistant.”</p><p>The emotions played across Kara’s face rapidly, and each one broke Lena’s heart a bit more than the last. She had expected sadness and anger, among other things, but seeing them etched in the lines and curves of Kara’s face still made her stomach churn and heart stutter.</p><p>After a long moment, Kara’s jaw clenched and her blue eyes turned glacial. It was an expression Lena had never seen her wear— and it scared her.</p><p>“I need to go.” Kara stood from the booth quickly, rattling everything on the table in the process.</p><p>“Wait!” Lena exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing Kara’s wrist. “We, um… You haven’t finished your coffee.”</p><p>It was a weak argument, but then again it wasn’t what Lena meant to say, and they both knew it. Kara’s expression softened minutely, but her eyes were still glassy.</p><p>“How long are you in town?” she asked.</p><p>“A week, maybe,” Lena replied. “Longer, if you want. Or shorter, if you want me to go.”</p><p>“No, don’t… Don’t go,” Kara said, a hint of desperation in her voice. She sighed. “I’ll text you, I will. But don’t go yet.”</p><p>“Okay,” Lena nodded, and let go of her wrist. “I’ll be around.”</p><p>Kara raised her freed arm to her chest and wrapped the opposite hand around the wrist Lena had been holding, touching the skin there hesitantly before she turned and hurried away, leaving Lena alone in the booth.</p><p>The hotel that Andrea had booked for them was a few blocks away, and Lena made her way there in a fog. It was only when she knocked on the door and was greeted by Andrea’s excited expression that the tears began to fall.</p><p>“Oh, honey, no, c’mere,” Andrea cooed, pulling her into the suite and shutting the door. They sat on the fluffy sofa in the living area of the hotel suite, several miniature bottles of alcohol between them as Lena told her what had happened.</p><p>“So you didn’t even tell her about wanting to be with her?” Andrea clarified.</p><p>Lena shook her head. “No, she was too upset over what my mother did.” She sniffled pathetically. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t want anything to do with me.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t talk like that,” Andrea said sternly. “It’s not your fault your mother’s a bitch.”</p><p>“If I had stayed away from her…”</p><p>“Lena, you two are like magnets.” Andrea sighed. “I’ve kept my mouth shut for a long time, but ever since you met Kara I’ve seen it. You’re different with her— she makes you happy, happier than I’ve seen you with anyone else. And I’ve seen you with a lot of other people.”</p><p>Lena sniffled again. “Are you calling me a slut?”</p><p>“Don’t put words in my mouth, <em>piba</em>.” Andrea shifted on the sofa beside her. “Just don’t give up on her yet, okay? She said she would text you, and I believe she will.”</p><p>“What if she doesn’t?”</p><p>“She will.”</p><p>“But what if she—?”</p><p>“<em>Lena!</em>” Andrea exclaimed. “Jesus, I didn’t realize I was signing up for this cry fest when I dragged your ass out here.”</p><p>“You asked for it,” Lena huffed.</p><p>“That I did,” Andrea agreed. “So… Netflix marathon? I think they added that show with Neil deGrasse Tyson, maybe that will distract you.”</p><p>Lena blinked up in response. “Have I ever told you you’re my best friend?”</p><p>Andrea grinned. “And don’t you forget it. Now, come on: booze and science documentaries.”</p><p>——</p><p>Roughly twenty-seven and a half hours later, Kara texted her. And roughly three hours after that, Lena was sitting at a table inside a sleek new restaurant three blocks away from CatCo, heart pounding in her chest, as Kara sat down across from her.</p><p>“Thanks for meeting me here,” Kara said earnestly. “I’ve been wanting to try this place ever since it opened last month but none of my friends are brave enough to try anything fermented other than alcohol.”</p><p>“Kombucha is an acquired taste,” Lena shrugged, but her heart wasn’t in the small-talk. “I should really be thanking you. I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see me again, after what I told you yesterday.”</p><p>Kara fidgeted with the corner of her napkin for a long moment, then sighed. “I needed some time to wrap my head around it, honestly. When you told me back in Midvale, I didn’t really believe you. I mean, who would do something like that to a stranger?”</p><p>“My mother,” Lena grumbled bitterly.</p><p>“Exactly!” Kara said, a bit too loudly. “Your mother, <em>not you</em>.”</p><p>Lena could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. “Yeah, but she wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been around you in the first place.</p><p>Kara’s expression softened. “Lena, I don’t regret being around you. Even if your mother did something to screw with my career, I don’t regret being with you.”</p><p>Lena’s heart thumped so loudly in her chest that she was sure Kara must be able to hear it. “Really?”</p><p>“Really,” Kara replied. “Besides, it doesn’t matter.”</p><p>“D— Doesn’t matter?” Lena sputtered. “Kara, you told me that you always wanted to be a reporter— more than anything.”</p><p>“Yeah, and I still do,” Kara told her. “I’m not going to let this stop me.”</p><p>“Kara…” Lena began.</p><p>“No, just listen,” Kara said excitedly. “I’m working for <em>Cat Grant</em>, okay? I may only be her assistant, but I’m a good one. I’m in the perfect position to prove my worth to her and prove that no matter what anyone might’ve said to her, I should be a reporter. So that’s what I’m going to do.”</p><p>Lena stared across the table at her for a long moment, mouth agape, as a feeling of warmth filled her. When she was finally able to pick her jaw up off the floor, she was practically beaming. “You really believe in that, don’t you?”</p><p>Kara shrugged. “I have to. I’m not going to give up now. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am to stop now.”</p><p>Lena sat back in her seat. “God, you really are amazing, you know that?”</p><p>This time it was Kara’s turn to blush bright pink under the bright lights of the restaurant. She was saved from responding immediately by the waiter arriving with their food, which they immediately dove into. They spent the next two hours eating, discussing the food, and catching up on anything and everything, from Kara’s work at CatCo and Lena’s work at LuthorCorp, to Sam and Alex’s continuing romance, and all of their other friends.</p><p>“So Winn works with you at CatCo?” Lena asked as the waiter began clearing their plates.</p><p>“Yeah, he works in I.T. and he’s kind of a genius,” Kara told her. “He’s wasted at CatCo, honestly. He says most issues are picnics, whatever that means.”</p><p>“It’s an acronym,” Lena chuckled. “Problem In Chair, Not In Computer.”</p><p>Kara blinked owlishly. “Okay, now I feel stupid for not getting that.”</p><p>Lena laughed as they paid and stood from the table. They left the restaurant side-by-side, and headed out into the evening light. Neither of them spoke, but neither seemed to want to leave, so when Kara’s steps turned toward the park, Lena followed. Kara’s warmth was like a magnet drawing her closer, and Lena gradually drifted further into the blonde’s space until their arms bumped.</p><p>“Sorry,” Lena muttered, stepping away awkwardly.</p><p>Kara’s brow crinkled and her pace slowed until she stopped walking altogether. Lena took a few steps without her, then turned around.</p><p>“Kara?” The blonde’s features were obscured by </p><p>“Can I ask you something?” Kara’s question was sudden, her words quick, like she was trying to get them out before she lost her nerve.</p><p>“Of course,” Lena replied. “Anything.”</p><p>Kara swallowed hard. “If your mother hadn’t threatened to do what she did, what do you think would’ve happened between us?”</p><p>Lena’s mouth went dry. “I— I don’t—“</p><p>“I think about it, you know,” Kara said, her voice low. “A lot, actually. More than I should, probably. But I… I think about it. You and me.”</p><p>“Really?” Lena asked incredulously.</p><p>Kara smiled bitterly. “How could I not?”</p><p>Lena shifted her weight from foot to foot. She knew what she needed to say, what she <em>wanted</em> to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.</p><p>“Do you think we would be together now?” Kara asked.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Lena murmured, stepping closer. “But, um… I think I’d like to find out.”</p><p>Kara blinked. “Really?”</p><p>Lena’s cheeks warmed. “That’s another reason I came here. Not just to tell you what my mother did, that was just part of it. Um… See, when I told Andrea, we got to talking and she made me realize something.”</p><p>Kara nodded. “And what was that?”</p><p>Lena stepped further into Kara’s space, until she could feel the heat radiating off the blonde’s torso. “She made me realize that the thing that had held me back was gone. Not in a good way, regretfully, but Lillian isn’t dangling her threats over my head anymore. So there’s really no reason that I can’t go after what I want now.”</p><p>Kara swallowed hard, the muscles in her neck straining with the effort. “And what do you want?”</p><p>Lena sighed. “I just… I want to try this with you.” Her hands clenched at the skirt she was wearing, wiping the sweat from her palms and leaving deep wrinkles in the fabric. “If that’s what you want. I understand if you don’t want to, though. I wouldn’t blame you. I know I fucked things up multiple times and my family is, well… <em>complicated</em>, to say the least. But I really want to know what it’s like to be in a relationship with you— <em>Ooo!</em>”</p><p>Kara cut her off with a kiss, and it was <em>everything</em>. Her lips were so soft against Lena’s, but incessant, revealing her elation at Lena’s words while simultaneously staking a claim on her. Lena didn’t mind, in fact she reveled in it. She reached for Kara’s hips and pulled her closer, squeezing slightly over the thick denim as she lost herself in the leftover taste of the vanilla kefir parfait they had split for dessert and Kara’s peach-flavored lip balm.</p><p>After several long minutes, Kara pulled back with a hum. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say that.”</p><p>Lena blushed. “Probably as long as I’ve wanted to say it, if we’re being honest.”</p><p>Kara looked down at her intently, her blue eyes blazing in the dim golden light as the sun began to disappear beneath the horizon.</p><p>“I want to date you,” she said. “For real.”</p><p>“I want that, too,” Lena replied with a nod.</p><p>“I have one stipulation,” Kara said, chewing thoughtfully at her bottom lip, and Lena was struck with the urge to nibble on that lip herself. “No sex.”</p><p>“What?” Lena exclaimed, eyes widening.</p><p>Kara chuckled at her reaction. “I just think maybe we should take things slow this time.”</p><p>“Isn’t it a little late for that?” Lena asked, raising a brow at her.</p><p>Kara just shook her head. “Maybe, but maybe not. We already know that you and I are compatible in bed, but I think sometimes we lose ourselves in the sex— not that that’s a bad thing, really, it’s just… I want to get to know you, Lena. I want to spend time with you as a person, in a real relationship. Spending all of our time together in a bed while you’re here isn’t really conducive to that.”</p><p>Lena sighed. “I guess you’re right.”</p><p>Kara smirked. “You need it, huh?”</p><p>“Oh, shut up!” Lena grouched, bumping the blonde with her hip.</p><p>“I knew you just wanted me for my body,” Kara sighed dramatically, looking up at the sky. Lena just rolled her eyes, then grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her close again.</p><p>“No, I want you for far more than that,” she said, trying to convey her earnestness in her expression as she looked up at the blonde. She reached up and stroked her cheek. “Am I still allowed to kiss you?”</p><p>“Yeah, definitely,” Kara breathed.</p><p>“Good.” Lena smiled. “Because I really, really want to.”</p><p>So she did.</p><p>——</p><p>“I can’t believe we came all this way for you to reunite with your lover, and <em>I’m</em> the one having great sex.”</p><p>Lena groaned in exasperation as she did her makeup. “For the hundredth time, I do not want to hear about how good Russell is in bed. I heard enough last night through the walls.”</p><p>Andrea just grinned unrepentantly. She was still in her silk pajamas, even though it was almost five in the afternoon, stretched out on the bed in Lena’s room of the suite and watching her get ready.</p><p>“Jealous?”</p><p>Lena threw a shoe at her and Andrea squealed.</p><p>“Whatever, when we get married I’ll be sure to make you maid of honor,” Andrea said, sticking her tongue out at Lena. “Or matron of honor, depending on how the rest of this trip goes.”</p><p>It was Friday, and the week had absolutely flown by for Lena. Since their talk and kiss on Sunday, she had spent every evening with Kara, hanging out and going on actual dates together. They had both been tentative at first, but after the third night together things simply began to feel… <em>right</em>. Being with Kara was just easier than any other relationship Lena had ever had— even Jack— and the more they were around each other and got to know one another, the easier it became.</p><p>As for Jack… He had called her, that first night in the city, to check in and make sure she had arrived safely. After that he had texted her a few times, clearly not wanting to interrupt her girls’ trip, and Lena had sent him generic texts in response. He had called one evening, while she was out with Kara, and Lena quickly sent the call to voicemail, only to respond with a text much, much later that night when she returned to the hotel. Lena tried not to think of him, and for the most part that was disturbingly easy. The most thought she had given Jack had been two nights before, when she had tucked the engagement ring he had given her into an envelope along with a half-finished letter explaining why she couldn’t marry him, but she hadn’t been able to finish writing it since. She didn’t want to hurt Jack, though she knew it was inevitable— he was a good man, he just wasn’t the one for her.</p><p>“Maybe you should pack an overnight bag,” Andrea suggested, toeing at Lena’s small duffel near the foot of the bed.</p><p>Andrea had been left alone most evenings, and she had made the most of it. She had met a guy named Russell at the hotel bar on Monday night, while Lena was with Kara having dinner at a restaurant on the waterfront. Every night Lena went out with Kara, Andrea went out with Russ, but for every night that Lena came back to her hotel room alone, Andrea came back to hers with company.</p><p>Very <em>loud</em> company.</p><p>“Kara and I decided no sex,” Lena told her yet again. She was, perhaps, a bit frustrated that Andrea was spending every night being railed in the next room while Lena suffered through a sort of celibacy challenge. “I’m meeting her at CatCo to go to dinner, and then we’re probably going to watch Netflix or something at her place this evening.”</p><p>“So… Netflix and chill or<em> Netflix and chill</em>?” Andrea asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.</p><p>“Don’t make me throw the other shoe at you.”</p><p>Andrea sighed. “Okay, maybe I just want you to stay so I can have the whole suite to myself, ever think of that.”</p><p>“Why, so you can be even louder and keep the entire floor awake tonight instead of just me?” Lena asked, not really joking. But when Andrea’s expression turned to a pout, Lena huffed. “Fine, but I’m holding you to that maid of honor thing.”</p><p>——</p><p>The CatCo bullpen was bustling when Lena exited the elevator, but no one seemed to pay her any mind. She weaved through the desks, past flustered reporters and photographers, past a squat balding man grumbling about making deadlines. She thought she recognized one spiky head of brown hair poking up from one cubicle as Kara’s friend Winn, but it had been a few years so she wasn’t sure, and besides, she only had eyes for one person.</p><p>Kara was standing at a desk outside a large office that clearly belonged to Cat Grant. She was on the phone, looking particularly exasperated with her glasses slightly askew and her ponytail bobbing, but she offered Lena a grin as she approached. Lena stood to the side, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other as Kara fielded a barrage of questions from whomever was on the other end of the line.</p><p>“Lena Luthor.”</p><p>Her name wasn’t called as a question, but as a statement with full certainty behind it. She looked away from Kara to see Cat Grant sauntering across her office.</p><p>“As I live and breathe,” Cat said, looking her up and down. “Nobody told me that you were coming in today.”</p><p>Cat gave Kara a scathing glance, but the blonde just shrugged and went back to her phone conversation. Cat sighed dramatically.</p><p>“Well, she is talking to my ex-mother-in-law so that I don’t have to, so I suppose I can’t complain too much.” She looked back to Lena. “What can I do for you?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m just waiting to go to lunch with Kara,” Lena told the older woman.</p><p>“Believe me, she’ll be a while,” Cat told her, heading into the office.</p><p>Lena looked from Cat to Kara, who shrugged unhelpfully before turning her attention back to her phone call.</p><p>Lena followed Cat into her office and pulled the doors closed shut behind her.</p><p>“I need to speak with you,” she said, “privately.”</p><p>From behind her desk, Cat looked at Lena measuringly. “I’m a busy woman, Miss Luthor. You’ll have to make an appointment with my assistant. It shouldn’t be difficult for you, as you seem to know each other well.”</p><p>“It’ll only take a minute,” Lena told her. “It’s actually about Kara.”</p><p>Cat stared at her for another long moment before rising from her seat. She went to a decanter on a nearby shelf and poured two glasses full before returning to the sitting area in the center of her office.</p><p>“Have a seat,” she said. “I’d offer you a real drink, but you hardly look old enough, so water will have to do.”</p><p>“I’m twenty-three,” Lena supplied as she sat on the edge of one of the sofas.</p><p>Cat rolled her eyes. “A child.”</p><p>Lena fought the urge to bristle as she took the proffered glass. Cat took her own and sat across from her.</p><p>“Now, I assume you wanted to talk about Kiera?”</p><p>It took Lena a moment to realize who the mogul was talking about, and that really did make her bristle. “I’m here to talk about <em>Kara</em>.”</p><p>“Yes, what about her?” Cat asked, nonchalantly.</p><p>Lena held her breath and focused on every trick Lillian had ever taught her. She sat up straighter, schooled her features, and smoothed down the edge of her skirt. “She wants to be a reporter.”</p><p>Cat snorted. “I’m blatantly aware of that, Miss Luthor. She has made that clear since the day she interviewed for this position.”</p><p>“And do you have any intention of promoting her to be a reporter someday?” Lena asked.</p><p>Cat’s gaze turned cold as she looked Lena over. “I believe a promotion like that must be earned based on one’s merits.”</p><p>“Exactly, so—“</p><p>“Let me finish,” Cat said coldly. “I believe it must be earned based on one’s merits, and so I do not intend to let anyone else sway me in my decision-making, even if that person’s last name happens to be Luthor. Not for you, and not for anyone else either.”</p><p>It took a moment for the woman’s words to fully process in Lena’s brain. “You mean…?”</p><p>Cat rose from the sofa and walked behind her desk. “I didn’t get to be the Queen of All Media by bowing to the whims of the rich and powerful. Quite the opposite, really.”</p><p>“So—“</p><p>“So if the day comes when Kiera decides she wants to prove herself as a reporter, if I feel that she is ready and able, I will promote her,” Cat said simply. “But she will have to earn it with blood and sweat just like the rest of us not born with a silver spoon in our mouths.”</p><p>Lena felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, like her heart was suddenly filled with helium and might float right out of her chest at any moment.</p><p>“I understand,” she said. “Thank you, Miss Grant, I—“</p><p>“What is it you do at LuthorCorp, Lena?” Cat asked.</p><p>“I— I head research and development,” Lena stammered.</p><p>“Hmm,” Cat hummed thoughtfully. “Pity.”</p><p>Lena’s eyes widened. “What?”</p><p>“I’m familiar with your family’s company,” Cat told her. “And it would benefit from having someone with a sound mind and a good heart at the helm, rather than what it has now.”</p><p>“My brother—“ Lena began.</p><p>“Ah-ah,” Cat cut her off. “Don’t lie just because you’re related to him.”</p><p>Lena frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“Then maybe you need to look a bit deeper into your family’s business, Miss Luthor,” Cat told her.</p><p>Before Lena could ask what she meant, the doors to her office opened.</p><p>“Oh, there you are!” Kara exclaimed, looking at Lena, then she turned back to Miss Grant and recovered her professional demeanor. “Your mother-in-law—“</p><p>“<em>Ex</em>-mother-in-law, but continue,” Cat corrected.</p><p>“Right, well, she says thank you for the lovely birthday flowers, and she’s looking forward to seeing Carter at Thanksgiving.”</p><p>“Of course she is,” Cat sighed. “Kiera, make a note that I’ll need to make an appointment with my therapist for the day <em>after</em> Thanksgiving.”</p><p>“It’s already on the calendar, Miss Grant, after last year’s… incident.”</p><p>Cat blinked owlishly. “Oh, well then… Why are you still here? Don’t you children have a date or something?”</p><p>Kara blushed and glanced at Lena. “Oh, um… Yeah.”</p><p>“Then <em>why</em> are you still standing in my office?” Cat asked.</p><p>Lena grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her from the office. They paused by her desk long enough to pick up her bag and jacket, then headed to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Lena tugged Kara toward her and kissed her soundly on the lips.</p><p>“Wow,” Kara murmured when she finally pulled away, Lena’s lipstick smudged on her lips. “What was that for?”</p><p>“You being amazing,” Lena replied.</p><p>Kara blushed. “What, um… What did Miss Grant want with you?”</p><p>“Hmm?” Lena said, stroking an errant hair back into Kara’s ponytail. “Oh, it wasn’t that she wanted to speak with me, it was that I wanted to speak with her. About you. And about what my mother may or may not have done to influence your career.”</p><p>“Oh— <em>Oh!</em>” Kara exclaimed, lowering her voice as they made their way through the building lobby. “You asked her about that?”</p><p>“I intended to tell her that whatever my mother had said was a lie,” Lena explained. “I wasn’t sure if it would take money or threats, but I intended to make sure you were able to become a reporter someday.”</p><p>“Lena!” Kara exclaimed as they walked outside. “That’s crazy! You can’t threaten my boss!”</p><p>“Well, it turns out I didn’t have to,” Lena told her with a smile.</p><p>Kara froze mid-step. “What?”</p><p>Lena smiled beatifically up at her. “It turns out, we have nothing to worry about. Cat Grant doesn’t really care what a Luthor tells her, she intends to judge you on your own merits.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened. “You mean—?”</p><p>“Apparently, if you want to be a reporter, you just have to earn it, Kara Danvers.”</p><p>Kara stood frozen for another moment, processing her words, and then she practically jumped into the air.</p><p>“Yes!” she shouted, pumping her fist. Lena laughed at her, only to be swept off her feet— literally— as Kara picked her up and twirled her around on the sidewalk, uncaring of the pedestrians who had to dodge them. “I told you!”</p><p>Lena laughed wildly. “You did. And you were right.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara said breathlessly. She dropped Lena’s feet back to the pavement, but didn’t let her go. “You know what this means?”</p><p>“What?” Lena asked, just as breathless.</p><p>“It means there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t be my girlfriend,” she told her with a wide smile.</p><p>Lena smiled back at her, then reached up and tugged her face down for another kiss. She felt like flying, or maybe floating. She felt like giving her mother the middle finger right to her face. And she felt like kissing her girlfriend in the middle of the sidewalk in National City was the best way to do both.</p><p>——</p><p>“I don’t want you to leave.”</p><p>Lena’s finger froze where it was tracing her name over the bare skin on Kara’s back. The sun was rising outside, and it bathed the studio apartment in golden light and turned Kara into a living goddess. Kara’s polka-dotted sheets were pooled around their waists, and Kara was blissfully naked while Lena was dressed in nothing but her panties and a borrowed pajama top.</p><p>The night before had been nothing short of amazing. Nothing could interrupt Lena’s happiness as she and Kara traded boxes of Chinese takeout and watched reruns of <em>The Great British Bake Off</em>. After dinner they had spent the better part of an hour making out on Kara’s couch like a couple of teenagers, only stopping for a few minutes at a time to catch their breath and cuddle. It was a kind of comfortable that Lena had never even imagined.</p><p>Then night had fallen, and the issue of where to sleep had come up. Lena had told Kara about Andrea’s request for a night alone much earlier, and the blushing, giggling blonde had been more than happy to allow Lena to spend the night, but they hadn’t discussed where exactly Lena would be sleeping. Lena had given Kara’s lumpy sofa a judgemental glance so obvious that Kara had laughed at her.</p><p>“You can sleep with me.”</p><p>It wasn’t meant to be sexual. Lena knew that. The pajamas that Kara offered her were the least-sexy sleepwear she had ever seen, boxy and matchy with palm leaves printed on the blue silk fabric. But that didn’t take away the charge in the air between them. And when Lena had emerged from the bathroom, hair loose in soft waves around her shoulders, fiddling nervously with the buttons on the pajama top, Kara had looked at her with such a look of affection and hunger that neither of them could stop it.</p><p>Lena spent the night tangled up in Kara, rediscovering the body of the woman she loved. She hadn’t said it yet, but with every breath it was on the tip of her tongue. She was in love with Kara Danvers, had been for a very long time, but it had taken her until now to really admit it to herself, to feel free enough to even think about saying it out loud.</p><p>Kara huffed against the loose silky fabric of Lena’s shirt and snuggled her face further into Lena’s breasts. Lena just giggled at her antics and ran her fingers through loose blonde hair.</p><p>“Maybe I don’t have to,” she sighed.</p><p>Her words were flippant, but Kara stiffened against her. The blonde raised her head slowly, eyes wide with nervous excitement.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Lena shrugged awkwardly where she was pressed into the pillows beneath Kara. “Maybe I don’t have to leave. Maybe I could just stay here with you.”</p><p>Kara groaned and dropped her head. “Don’t tease me.”</p><p>Lena tugged at her hair until she raised her head to look at her again. “I’m not.”</p><p>This time Kara’s brow crinkled with confusion, and Lena freed one arm from where it was sandwiched between them so she could hold her girlfriend even tighter.</p><p>“LuthorCorp has a smaller branch here in National City,” she said simply. “We’ve been discussing building it up, making it a larger part of the company’s management. I could talk to Lex about transferring to that office, or maybe even being put in charge of it.”</p><p>Kara bit her lip. “Would your brother be okay with you doing that?”</p><p>“Probably. He pretty much lets me do whatever I want within the company, as long as I’m not losing money.”</p><p>“Yeah, but would he be okay with you moving here to be with me?” Kara asked.</p><p>Lena sighed. “Lex knows I like women. We haven’t talked about you, specifically, but he’s never been quite as, um… homophobic as my mother.”</p><p>“So would he—“</p><p>“Kara, honey, I don’t really care if he’s okay with it or not,” Lena told her honestly. “My family can go to hell for all I care. If he won’t let me transfer, then I’ll quit. My degrees speak for themselves without taking my last name into account, and there are more technology companies here in National City besides LuthorCorp that I could work for.” Lena paused, staring up at the ceiling as she thought. “But, of course, if it became public knowledge that I was forced to quit the family business because the Luthors refused to accept my same-sex relationship, that would reflect poorly on the company, perhaps even more so than my sexuality in general. And I’m not above rubbing that in my brother’s or my mother’s face to get them to agree to me transferring.”</p><p>Kara was startlingly still where she lay atop Lena on the sofa, so much so that after a long moment, Lena looked down to make sure the blonde hadn’t fallen asleep on her. What she found instead was a slack-jawed expression and awestruck eyes glistening with tears.</p><p>“You would do that?” Kara asked incredulously.</p><p>Lena wrapped her arms around Kara’s shoulders and squeezed tightly. “Of course I would. I told you, I want this to work between us. I want to be with you— and not just metaphorically. I want to be here with you—“</p><p>For the second time that week, Kara cut Lena off with a kiss. It was deep and tender in all the best ways, but beneath that was a hunger that Lena didn’t think would ever be sated. They made love slowly, drawing out every touch and sensation until they were both nearly mad with it, until finally Lena came with a shout around Kara’s fingers at the same time Kara finished against Lena’s thigh. It was messy and glorious and Lena clutched at Kara’s back until her body finally calmed from the aftershocks.</p><p>“My God, Kara, that was…” Lena’s voice trailed off as a loud rumble echoed from between them. She looked down as it sounded again and Kara’s face turned sheepish. “Did your stomach really just—?”</p><p>“I’m hungry! I can’t help it!” Kara exclaimed before she rolled and buried her face in the pillows.</p><p>Lena giggled wildly. “Well, I’m gonna go take a shower and you can order us something for breakfast. But if you want to join me, I’m up for that, too.”</p><p>She grabbed her clothes from the top of her duffel and raced into the room while Kara was still staring slack-jawed at her naked form. Once in the bathroom, she used Kara’s hairbrush to untangle her hair while the water heated in the shower, then stepped under the spray.</p><p>A few minutes later, the curtain moved and Kara stepped into the shower with her. Lena grinned even as they struggled to fit beneath the spray. Kara grabbed the body wash before Lena could get hold of it and poured a generous amount into her hands, warming it in her palm as she looked at Lena with a hooded gaze.</p><p>“Food should be here in thirty minutes,” she said simply. “I ordered bacon and pancakes.”</p><p>It was an odd thing to say, especially right before she put her hands on Lena’s boobs, but that’s what Kara did. Lena moaned into her touch as she swirled the body wash over Lena’s heated skin, stroking and teasing her sensitive breasts until Lena was breathless with arousal once again. Then Kara moved her hands away, spreading the scented lather over every inch of bare skin. When she was finished, she looked Lena over with a piercing gaze, as if checking for any spot she missed.</p><p>“My turn to soap you up?” Lena asked hopefully.</p><p>“I have a better idea,” Kara replied. She pulled Lena flush against her body, so that every inch of slick skin was pressed together. Then she lowered her head and kissed Lena soundly, even as their bodies continued to writhe and spread the suds from one to the other. When she finally moved away, it took Lena a long moment to form coherent thoughts again.</p><p>“Shampoo?” Kara asked, pouring a dollop into her palm.</p><p>“I did bring my own,” Lena told her, leaning against the shower wall.</p><p>“Yeah, but this way you smell like me,” Kara said, and the thought sent a bolt of heat straight to Lena’s core. “Turn around.”</p><p>Lena did as she was told, turning so that Kara could lather up her hair. She was gentle with the long strands, her strong fingers that Lena was so intimately familiar with massaging into Lena’s scalp, nails scratching ever-so-slightly. If Lena had been a cat, she would’ve been purring, but all she could do was moan softly in appreciation. Once she was finished, Kara used the removable shower head to rinse the suds from Lena’s hair and added conditioner to the dark strands, massaging it in before rinsing it down the drain as well.</p><p>Lena turned abruptly when she was finished. “Your turn.”</p><p>Kara grinned teasingly. “I’ll be sure to duck so you can reach.”</p><p>Lena huffed at that, but it was impossible to be frustrated with Kara when she was simultaneously relaxed and turned on. She gave Kara’s blonde strands the same treatment, working the shampoo through and into a lather. As she rinsed it away, she couldn’t help but follow the stream with her eyes, over the sculpted muscles of Kara’s shoulders and back, down to the dimples at the base of her spine, and over the swell of her ass. Lena was a bit preoccupied as she conditioned Kara’s hair, her gaze constantly drawn down to the perfectly sculpted hips in front of her. Finally she rinsed the conditioner from Kara’s head, but when the blonde started to turn around, Lena held her still.</p><p>“Put your hands on the wall and spread your legs,” she ordered, and Kara complied with a moan. Lena ran her free hand down over Kara’s ass, squeezing as she went, and down further between the blonde’s legs. Her other hand fiddled with the dial on the shower head, until the stream of water changed to a strong pulse. She moved it around to Kara’s front even as her other hand delved between Kara’s legs from the rear.</p><p>“Lena!” Kara exclaimed as Lena thrust into her heat with two fingers. Kara was soaked, and not just from the water, making it easy for Lena to fuck her.</p><p>“You feel so good,” Lena groaned, using her hips to add pressure to each thrust of her hand. Her other hand twisted around with the shower head until she got it into position.</p><p>“Wha— Oh, <em>fuck</em>, that feels good,” Kara groaned. Her knuckles were white against the shower tile, and the muscles in her back tensed. Lena leaned forward and licked the droplets from along Kara’s spine, drawing another moan from the other woman. “Fuck, Lena, I’m already close.”</p><p>“You better come before the water goes cold,” Lena hissed.</p><p>Kara shuddered. “Might even have time to taste you before it does.”</p><p>The thought made Lena groan, and the sound travelled through her body and into Kara’s. The blonde pushed herself back onto Lena’s fingers even harder, and Lena moved the stream of water just slightly in a circle until—</p><p>“<em>Oh!</em>” Kara cried, shuddering in Lena’s arms. “Oh, God, oh fuck, Lena… <em>Oh…</em>”</p><p>Lena pressed tender kisses into Kara’s shoulder blade as she clenched around her fingers. After several long moments, when the fluttering had mostly stopped, she pulled her fingers free and angled the stream of the water so that it rinsed Kara’s core, drawing yet another cry from the other woman. Finally, she moved the shower head away and put it back on the wall.</p><p>No sooner than Lena had put the shower head back, Kara stood straight and turned, grabbing Lena and kissing her solidly at the same time. She reversed their positions, pressing Lena’s back against the cool shower tile before kissing her way down Lena’s body. She tugged first one, then the other nipple between her lips, sucking lightly until Lena’s hips thrusted off the bathroom wall. Then Kara dipped lower, moving to her knees in front of Lena and parting her thighs.</p><p>“Hang on,” she instructed, and then dipped her head.</p><p>Lena wasn’t sure what she was supposed to hang on to, but she immediately knew that she needed some sort of anchor. Kara dove into her pussy like a woman on a mission, lips and tongue delving deep with every lick and suck against her heated flesh. One of Lena’s hands scrabbled against the tile wall while the other grabbed at the back of Kara’s head, fisting in her wet hair and holding on as Lena’s knees quivered and threatened to give out beneath her.</p><p>Thankfully, Kara didn’t tease for long. After a few deep licks directly into Lena’s center, lapping up every bit of come she could, Kara zeroed in on Lena’s clit and began a relentless assault. Kara alternated between laving her flattened tongue over the bundle of nerves to sucking it between her lip to flicking it up and down and side to side with the very tip of her tongue. It was glorious and maddening as Lena wound further and further toward the edge, and the water beating down on them grew cooler and cooler. Suddenly Lena’s thighs started to shake, and that made her press even more into Kara’s tongue.</p><p>“<em>Kara</em>—“ Lena warned, but it was too late.</p><p>She came hard, breath caught in her chest, gripping a handful of Kara’s wet hair as her legs quivered and her hips thrust haphazardly into the blonde’s face. Kara held her firmly in place, two hands placed securely on Lena’s ass as she continued to lick her softly through the aftershocks. Even as they slowed, Kara continued, licking until Lena’s thighs started shaking again.</p><p>“Kara, I’ll fall on you,” Lena warned through clenched teeth. “Kara—“</p><p>Suddenly falling wasn’t Lena’s greatest concern, as the water coming through the shower went from lukewarm to glacial in less than a second. Lena squealed and pushed Kara away, instinctively diving away from the cold spray and retreating toward the back of the shower. From her spot on her knees, Kara looked dumbfounded for a moment before she burst into laughter.</p><p>“‘S’not funny!” Lena exclaimed between shivers as she grabbed her towel and Kara turned the water off.</p><p>“Is too,” Kara huffed. She turned toward Lena, who was now holding her towel around her front, and pulled her close again. Kara kissed her, and the warmth of her body quickly stilled Lena’s shivering.</p><p>They dried off side by side, sharing the small space easily. Kara pulled on her clothes just in time for a loud knock to echo through the apartment.</p><p>“That’ll be breakfast,” Kara announced excitedly.</p><p>“Grab my wallet from my bag, I’ll pay for it,” Lena told her.</p><p>“Lena, you don’t have to buy me food.”</p><p>“I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” Lena replied. “Just grab my wallet out of my duffel and use the silver card, okay?”</p><p>“Fine, fine,” Kara sighed. “You don’t have to twist my arm.”</p><p>Lena grinned and kissed her on the cheek before another knock sounded through the apartment. Kara hurried from the bathroom, leaving Lena to finish getting dressed. A moment later a loud thump came from the other room.</p><p>“You okay?” Lena shouted.</p><p>“Yeah, just knocked your bag over, no big deal,” Kara replied. “I’ll clean it up in a minute.”</p><p>Lena turned back to getting dressed, listening as Kara paid for their delivered breakfast and then returned to the bedroom. She heard some shuffling and jingling as Kara righted her duffel bag, then the creak of the mattress. Lena tied her damp hair into a braid, then made her way into the bedroom.</p><p>The sight that greeted her drove the air from her lungs. Kara was sitting on the foot of her bed, duffel bag at her feet, holding an envelope in one hand and a piece of stationary in the other.</p><p>“Kara—“</p><p>“Lena, what is this?” Kara asked incredulously. “Who is Jack?”</p><p>Lena’s mind scrambled to form a coherent answer, but all she could focus on was the sound of her pulse pounding in her ears.</p><p>“It… It’s nothing,” Lena stammered. “It’s not… He’s not…”</p><p>“This doesn’t look like nothing,” Kara said, opening her hand to reveal the diamond ring.</p><p>Lena’s spine stiffened. “What are you even doing, Kara?”</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened. “It fell out of your bag, Lena. I wasn’t snooping.”</p><p>“Well it sure looks like you are,” Lena said, her voice sharper than she intended.</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened further. “Wha— Lena, what the hell is going on?”</p><p>“I told you, it’s nothing,” Lena repeated firmly.</p><p>“Then who’s Jack?” Kara demanded, her own voice rising.</p><p>“Jacky… He’s someone I was seeing,” Lena replied.</p><p>“Past or present tense?” Kara asked.</p><p>“Past, obviously,” Lena told her. “I’m here now, with you.”</p><p>Kara looked from Lena, to the paper in her hand, and then back again. “Does Jack know that?”</p><p>Lena shifted uneasily. “He will shortly. When I get back to Metropolis.”</p><p>“Back to Metropolis?” Kara gasped. “But I thought you were staying here?”</p><p>“Well, yes, of course, darling,” Lena assured her, reaching to take the items from her hands. “But I need to go back for a little while, get my affairs in order—“</p><p>“Your affairs like your boyfriend?” Kara asked as Lena took the ring from her grasp. “Or should I say fiancé?”</p><p>“I never agreed to marry him,” Lena huffed, looking down at the ring in her hand. She turned and paced across the small bedroom, then turned and paced in the opposite direction. “I told him that I would give him an answer when I got back to Metropolis, and I will.”</p><p>“And you’re going to tell him no?”</p><p>“Yes,” Lena said with a sigh. “Now that I’ve weighed my options, I know I can’t marry him.”</p><p>“Weighed your options?” Kara repeated. “Is that what all this has been to you? Just trying to figure out if being with me would be better than being with your boyfriend?”</p><p>“Kara, it’s not that simple.”</p><p>“When did he ask you to marry him?” Kara demanded.</p><p>Lena bit her lip. “Last Friday. We hadn’t even discussed it, he just asked me out of the blue, and I— I couldn’t say yes, I couldn’t say <em>anything</em> because… because all I could think about was you.”</p><p>Kara’s brow crinkled in confusion but Lena continued. “My mother knew, somehow, she knew what I was thinking and then she told me what she had done and I just… I didn’t know what to do. So Andrea, she… she…”</p><p>“What did Andrea do?” Kara asked, her voice low.</p><p>“She said I should find out what it would be like with you,” Lena replied. “That way I could be sure I made the right decision. So we booked a flight and we came here and—“</p><p>“And you met me at CatCo last week,” Kara finished. “I think I know the rest.”</p><p>“Don’t you see? I had to know,” Lena told her.</p><p>“So this whole week was just… what to you?” Kara asked. “Some kind of experiment?”</p><p>“No!” Lena exclaimed, then bit her tongue. “Well… Yes, I suppose, in a way it was. But that’s how my brain works, Kara—“</p><p>“Yeah, but it’s not how people’s hearts work, Lena!” Kara exclaimed. “My heart, hell, <em>Jack’s</em> heart. We’re not just pieces of some experiment in a lab, we’re people with feelings. I <em>love</em> you, Lena!”</p><p>Lena gasped. “You love me?”</p><p>“Yes, you crazy-stupid genius, I thought that was obvious!” Kara huffed. “But I can’t— This isn’t fair!”</p><p>“Kara—“</p><p>“No, Lena, it’s not fair!” Kara exclaimed, rising to her feet as tears began welling up in her eyes. “It’s not fair to this Jack guy and it’s not fair to me! You can’t just weigh us against each other like that. I refuse to be part of some competition that I didn’t even consent to be a part of.”</p><p>“But it’s not like that!”</p><p>“Really?” Kara asked with a bitter laugh. “What did you do, Lena? Make a pros and cons list for each of us? Did you enter data into a computer and run the numbers? Are there charts and graphs somewhere comparing me and him?”</p><p>“No! It was nothing like that!” Lena sobbed, tears running down her face. “I love <em>you!</em> I love you, okay? Not him.”</p><p>Kara stared at her. “You love me?”</p><p>“Yes!” Lena shouted, reaching for her, but Kara stepped back.</p><p>Kara shook her head. “This isn’t love, Lena.”</p><p>“Yes it is!” Lena argued. “I love you. I’ve been in love with you for a long time I just… I couldn’t… I didn’t…”</p><p>Kara shook her head. “If you loved me, you would’ve been honest with me. You wouldn’t have used me like this.”</p><p>“Kara—“</p><p>“No, Lena,” Kara said firmly. She sighed bitterly. “I’ve loved you for <em>so long</em>, but it doesn’t matter. I deserve more. I deserve someone who won’t string me along, who won’t use me the way you did.” She scoffed. “I don’t even know this Jack guy, and I know he doesn’t deserve it either.”</p><p>“Kara, please…” Lena sobbed, reaching for her again, but Kara backed even further away.</p><p>“I’m going to go,” she said, her voice cold and unwavering. “Get your things. I… Don’t be here when I get back.”</p><p>“Kara—“</p><p>“<em>Please</em> don’t be here,” Kara repeated, her voice cracking. She took one last look at Lena, then hurried from the bedroom. Lena followed, but before she could stop her Kara had disappeared out the door.</p><p>Lena was numb. There was a part of her that wanted to chase Kara, another part that wanted to scream, another part that wanted to curl up on the floor and cry. She did none of those things. Instead she gathered up her things and stuffed them into her duffel bag with a stubborn sniffle, and left the apartment.</p><p>If the cab driver noticed anything amiss, he said nothing. Or perhaps his silence was the only indication that anything was wrong. Either way, the ride back to the hotel was silent. Lena managed to make it inside, through the lobby, up the elevator, and all the way to her suite without losing her composure.</p><p>It was walking in on Andrea sitting on the sofa, locked in a passionate kiss with Russell that pushed her over the edge.</p><p>“Get out!” Lena shouted, hurling her entire bag at the couple— specifically Russ. The man looked at her with wide eyes before turning back to Andrea.</p><p>“Looks like that’s my cue to go,” he said, hurrying from the sofa and toward the door. He sidestepped Lena like she was a venomous snake, then hurried from the room.</p><p>“Lena?” Andrea called, her voice soft and thick with concern. Lena turned to her and her vision went blurry with tears. “Oh, <em>chabona</em>, what happened?”</p><p>“I fucked up,” Lena told her. Andrea opened her arms and Lena practically collapsed onto the sofa beside her as sobs racked her body. “I fucked up so bad, Andy, and I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me.”</p><p>“Lena…” Andrea cooed.</p><p>“I don’t think I would,” Lena continued.</p><p>“You don’t think that you would do what?” Andrea asked, stroking Lena’s hair.</p><p>“I wouldn’t forgive myself,” Lena replied. “Not for this.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. August 8, 2015</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wedding was planned for the second weekend in August. As soon as she saw the little California vineyard, with its picturesque views and rustic courtyard lit by fairy lights, Lena had known it was the perfect place for a wedding. It was to be a small affair, with only close family and friends. A few LuthorCorp employees would be in attendance as well, and that thought made Lena a bit nervous as she smoothed down the front of her dress.</p><p>“Jesus, calm down,” Sam said into her ear, wrapping her arms around Lena’s middle. “It’s not like you’re the one about to get married.”</p><p>Lena sighed. “I’m just not crazy about being in front of a crowd.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you love me, remember?” Sam teased.</p><p>“Obviously,” Lena replied, rolling her eyes as Sam stepped away.</p><p>And she did love Sam, dearly. She had no idea how she would’ve survived the last year without her, both personally and professionally. So when Sam asked her to be her maid of honor at her wedding, Lena hadn’t hesitated to agree.</p><p>Even if Sam was marrying Alex Danvers.</p><p>And even if Alex’s maid of honor was Kara.</p><p>“Do you want some more champagne?” Sam asked. “Just because I can’t drink doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”</p><p>Sam and Alex’s engagement had been a surprise and yet, simultaneously, not. They had been in a relationship now for five years, and had lived together for the last two, ever since Sam transferred to work at LuthorCorp’s National City office. They were committed to each other, there was no doubt about that, but they both had some hang ups over marriage. So instead, they had decided to move forward with their lives together in a different way, and six months earlier they had announced that they were going to have a baby together— Sam was pregnant. But then, apparently, the impending birth of their child had flipped a switch in both of their brains, because not a month after the pregnancy announcement, they had announced their engagement and started planning a wedding.</p><p>Lena thought it might be the first same-sex shotgun wedding in history.</p><p>Lena took the proffered champagne and downed a flute before pouring another one.</p><p>“Wow… I thought you were doing okay,” Sam commented, sitting on a nearby chaise. She was still lounging around in her robe, as it was still almost two hours until the actual ceremony, but her hair and makeup were done and her dress was hanging ready nearby.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Lena argued, but even she had to admit that her words sounded shaky at best.</p><p>It was another hour until the ceremony. Which meant that it was an hour until she saw Kara.</p><p>She hadn’t seen the other woman since that day in National City. She had avoided her, even when she spent time with Sam, even while she helped Sam plan this wedding. Lena had thought she might have the unavoidable confrontation at the rehearsal dinner the night before, but there had been an emergency in the office so she hadn’t even been able to attend, only slipping into the Danvers household a little past midnight to crash with Sam in the guest room. Because Sam and Alex— mainly Alex— had decided to be old-fashioned and not see each other before the ceremony, and Lena was Sam’s maid of honor, she hadn’t seen Kara that morning either. They wouldn’t see each other until the ceremony, and Lena was forcing herself to keep it together. She had to, for Sam and Alex, but she knew it wasn’t going to be easy to see the woman she was still in love with, even after almost a year apart.</p><p>Especially since said woman had brought a date with her.</p><p>There was a knock at the door and the photographer, a man Lena recognized as Kara’s friend James, poked his head inside.</p><p>“Hey, Sam, I’m taking Alex, Kara, and Eliza down for their photos, so I’ll be ready for the two of you in about twenty minutes,” he told them.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll get into the dress,” Sam replied.</p><p>James smiled at her, but when his gaze turned to Lena his expression was much colder. Lena tried to ignore it, only raising her own brow coldly in return until he ducked back out, but as soon as he was gone she downed her second glass of champagne in almost one gulp.</p><p>“Lena,” Sam said pointedly as they both rose to their feet.</p><p>“What?” Lena asked. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Let’s just get you into this dress and get this show on the road.”</p><p>“Lena,” Sam repeated as she caught Lena and put a hand on each of her shoulders, “I need you to be okay.”</p><p>“I just said—“</p><p>“I know what you said, it’s the same thing you’ve said for the last year, and I also know that you’re lying, just like you’ve been lying,” Sam told her. “It’s okay to not be fine with what happened.”</p><p>Lena stiffened. “I don’t think now is the best time—“</p><p>“It might be the only time.” Sam sighed and dropped one hand to rub at the side of her baby bump. “Of course she chooses now to wake up.”</p><p>Lena looked down. “Maybe she’s trying to tell you that now is not the time.”</p><p>Sam snorted. “Lena, she’s part of the reason I want you to really be okay, you and Kara. I— I wasn’t going to tell you this yet, but I’ve talked to Alex about it, and we want you to be her godmother.”</p><p>Lena’s jaw dropped. “Really?”</p><p>“<em>Really</em>, really,” Sam nodded. “Of course, that means you’ll be involved in her life growing up, and you know who else is going to be involved in her life: her Auntie Kara. So I need you two to be capable of being in the same room together and be civil to each other.”</p><p>“I can be civil,” Lena insisted as she turned and pulled Sam’s dress from the hanger. “Do you think Kara can’t be civil? Does she still hate me that much?”</p><p>“She doesn’t hate you,” Sam sighed, taking the dress from Lena’s hands and stepping into the billowing fabric. “I’ve told you, I think she regrets what happened that day as much as you do.”</p><p>“Maybe,” Lena said as she helped Sam adjust the dress and started buttoning the twenty-seven lace-covered buttons that ran down the taller woman’s spine. “But that doesn’t change the fact that she was right and that what I did was terrible and hurt her.”</p><p>“Yeah, you really should’ve come to me with that hair brained scheme of yours instead of Andrea,” Sam told her.</p><p>“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Lena muttered.</p><p>“And now?”</p><p>Lena didn’t reply. She fastened the final button and smoothed down the floral lace. “There you go.”</p><p>She stood back as Sam turned toward the full-length mirror in the corner. The brunette let out a small gasp as she smoothed her hands down over the front of her dress, making sure the fabric was lying smoothly over her stomach. Lena stepped closer behind her and adjusted the skirt and train.</p><p>“You look beautiful,” Lena told her. “You’re glowing.”</p><p>“It’s because I’m so happy,” Sam said, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. Lena quickly grabbed a nearby box of tissues. After she dabbed at the corners of her eyes, careful not to mess up her makeup, she turned to look at Lena. “I just want you to be happy too, you know.”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes. “I know.”</p><p>“So talk to her,” Sam ordered.</p><p>Before Lena could retort, one of the venue employees poked her head into the room to summon them for their photo session. They made their way downstairs and James led them all over the vineyard for photos. Lena knew that he was a renowned photojournalist, and was only doing wedding photos as a favor to Kara and Alex, but he did seem to have a good eye for the different locations to make gorgeous photos.</p><p>By the time they finished, guests had started to arrive, and they were sent back to their dressing room to relax until time to begin— not that either of them could relax.</p><p>“She must be able to feel how nervous I am,” Sam said rubbing her belly. “She’s been jumping around ever since I put on this dress.”</p><p>“Can I feel?” Lena asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She wasn’t a touchy-freely person, by nature— even if she had been, Lillian would’ve made sure that trait was extinguished— and the thought of growing a baby inside her still made Lena’s nerves crawl a bit, but she was also dying to know what it felt like.</p><p>“Yeah, come here,” Sam told her.</p><p>Lena pressed close to Sam’s side, and let the other woman take her hand and glide it along the side of her belly until she found the right spot.</p><p>“Now just give it a second and—“</p><p>“Oh, shit!” Lena exclaimed as something bumped against her palm. She pulled her hand back like she had been burned, and then her face immediately turned red as Sam laughed at her.</p><p>“She’s not gonna bite you,” Sam said, pushing Lena’s hand back into place. “This isn’t <em>Alien</em>.”</p><p>“I didn’t expect it to be that strong.” Lena’s jaw dropped in awe as the baby turned inside Sam’s belly, pressing against the skin. “Does it hurt?”</p><p>“Sometimes,” Sam shrugged. “Mostly it’s just kind of weird, but also amazing to know that that’s my baby in there. And Alex is super cute when she feels her move around.”</p><p>“Let me guess, that badass exterior melts?”</p><p>“Like a popsicle in July.”</p><p>A knock at the door drew Lena’s attention away from the movement under her hand and the same attendant from earlier poked her head in to summon them to the main event.</p><p>Sam took a deep breath and looked at Lena. “So, how do I look?”</p><p>Lena reached up and tucked a stray bit of hair into place. “You look perfect.”</p><p>The ceremony was set up to take place on a paved veranda overlooking rolling fields of grape vines, with the pristine mountains in the distance. Lena peeked out of their hiding place at the back to see the crowd gathered, the officiant standing at the front, and a harpist and string quartet taking their places.</p><p>“Do you see Alex?” Sam asked, trying to look over Lena’s shoulder.</p><p>“Not yet,” Lena replied. “And no peeking, you said you weren’t going to peek.”</p><p>“Well, I lied, I want to see her,” Sam argued, but Lena nudged her away.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity but was probably only five minutes, the officiant stood and greeted everyone, and the harpist began playing. Across the aisle from where Sam and Lena were waiting, Alex emerged flanked by Eliza and Kara. Lena’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of the blonde in a blush-colored lace dress, hair in loose waves around her face.</p><p>“How does she look?” Sam asked.</p><p>Lena started to reply before she realized that Sam was talking about Alex, and not her sister. She focused her gaze on Alex, who was dressed to kill in a white pantsuit that hugged her figure, her short hair slightly curled and swept away from her face. She turned back to Sam with a grin.</p><p>“She looks hot. You might wanna marry her before another lesbian snatches her up.”</p><p>“Shut up!” Sam hissed, smacking Lena gently with her bouquet. Lena just laughed.</p><p>Alex escorted Eliza to her seat on the front row and greeted the officiant. She turned and hugged Kara tightly before the blonde walked over to a microphone standing near the band.</p><p>“What—?” Lena began, but then the strings began to accompany the harp and Kara began to sing.</p><p>“<em>Can’t say how the days will unfold, can’t change what the future may hold, but I want you in it, every hour, every minute…</em>”</p><p>“Oh,” Lena breathed.</p><p>“That’s your cue,” Sam said, nudging Lena toward the door.</p><p>“<em>This world can race by far too fast, hard to see while it’s all flying past…</em>”</p><p>She shouldn’t stare, Lena knew that. But the sound of Kara’s voice singing so sweetly combined with how overwhelmingly beautiful she looked made it impossible to look away. And for her part, Kara seemed just as transfixed, staring at Lena with every word.</p><p>“<em>But it’s clear now, you’re standing here now. I am meant to be wherever you are next to me.</em>”</p><p>Lena’s heart thundered in her chest as she took her place opposite Kara, standing off to the side and holding her bouquet tightly between her shaking hands. The officiant motioned and the gathered crowd stood, looking toward the back of the space, but Lena’s eyes stayed fixed on Kara for just a moment longer before turning to watch Sam walk down the aisle.</p><p>Sam was stunning in her dress, white lace over a champagne-colored silk. She held her bouquet of red and pink flowers over her belly, but it didn’t mask it entirely. Her eyes were glistening as she made her way toward the front, but that was nothing compared to Alex’s face.</p><p>“<em>All I wanna do is come running home to you, come running home to you. And all my life, I promise to keep running home to you, keep running home to you.</em>”</p><p>As Sam made it to the front, tears were streaming down Alex’s face, though she was smiling wider than Lena had ever seen before. Sam quickly handed Lena her bouquet before reaching up to wipe her fiancée’s cheeks.</p><p>“I’m so excited to marry you,” Alex whispered.</p><p>“Me, too,” Sam replied.</p><p>Finally the last chord resolved and the officiant stepped between them. The officiant welcomed the guests and spoke the opening remarks about love, but Lena was too busy fidgeting with the paper clasped beside her bouquet and trying to look at Kara without looking at her to really pay attention.</p><p>“In a moment, Sam and Alex will light this candle of unity,” the officiant said, pulling Lena’s attention back to the ceremony. “Their individual candles represent their own warmth, strength, and wisdom, and by lighting the unity candle they symbolize combining their individual selves into something greater: a love that will cast light and warmth over all who encounter it. As they light their unity candle, Miss Lena Luthor will read a selection of poetry in their honor.”</p><p>Lena took a steadying breath and stepped toward the microphone, crossing in front of Kara as she did so. Only once she was there did she realize that she had a small conundrum— she was still holding Sam’s bouquet, as well as her own, and the paper with her notes from the poem was tucked between them. Panic flitted through her system as she tried to shuffle the flowers into one hand, but then—</p><p>“Here.”</p><p>Kara’s soft voice pierced through the haze, and soft, strong hands found hers beneath the flowers. Kara pulled the bouquets from Lena’s hands and into her own, leaving her clutching the tiny piece of paper. Lena looked up at her with a gaping expression, and Kara smiled softly.</p><p>The officiant cleared her throat, and Lena shook herself out of her daze yet again. <i>Maybe I did drink too much champagne</i>, she thought bitterly before unfolding the paper and turning to the microphone.</p><p>“<em>I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,</em></p><p>
  <em>Or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,</em>
</p><p><em>In secret, between the shadow and the soul…</em>”</p><p>Lena didn’t need the note in her hand, not really. She had memorized the poem weeks before, shortly after Sam had asked her to read something at the wedding. She had poured over love poems for days, some of them too modern, some of them too saccharine even Sam and Alex. It was this one that she had settled on, not only because it was the kind of love that she saw between Alex and Sam, but because it was a kind of love she could relate to, however briefly.</p><p>“<em>I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.</em></p><p>
  <em>I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So I love you because I know no other way than this:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Where I does not exist, nor you,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So close that your hand on my chest is my hand,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.</em>
</p><p>“Pablo Neruda, ‘Sonnet Seventeen,’” Lena concluded. She turned back toward the couple, and was quickly pulled into a hug by Sam, and then Alex.</p><p>“That was perfect,” Alex whispered in her ear before releasing her.</p><p>Lena blushed as the elder Danvers sister released her, then turned slightly toward Kara, who handed over the bouquets. She didn’t speak, but Lena could see tears glistening in her blue eyes along with a forlorn expression that was gone almost as quickly as it had come. Lena had little time to dwell on it, however, as she retook her place on the opposite side of the happy couple.</p><p>“Sam and Alex, you will now exchange your wedding vows. These vows are not to be taken lightly, but under great consideration, as they declare your intentions for a lasting partnership in love and marriage. Are you prepared to do this?”</p><p>Sam and Alex shared a meaningful look before replying simultaneously. “Yes.”</p><p>“Sam, repeat after me,” the officiant instructed. “<em>I, Sam, take you, Alex, to be my wife…</em>”</p><p>Lena felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched the two of them exchange their vows, promising a life of comfort, companionship, love, and respect. Then the officiant called for the rings, and Eliza stood. Rather than having a traditional ring bearer, Eliza had been chosen to hold the wedding rings until the official time. She stepped forward and kissed first Alex and then Sam on the cheeks as she handed over the rings.</p><p>“These rings represent the neverending love that Sam and Alex have for one another,” the officiant said. “Sam, once again, repeat after me. <em>I give you this ring as a sign of our love and commitment to each other. I will always love you, cherish you, and honor the vows spoken here today.</em>”</p><p>Sam repeated the words, and then Alex did the same. Once their rings were securely placed on their respective fingers, the two women beamed at one another.</p><p>“By the power vested in me by the state of California and the Universal Life Church, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you lawfully wedded, wife and wife. You may kiss.”</p><p>The small crowd erupted into cheers as the two leaned forward and kissed. Across the aisle, Kara let out a whoop of excitement and Lena burst into joyful laughter.</p><p>After a brief receiving line, the guests were all ushered to a cocktail hour while the bridal parties all took group photos together. Any awkwardness Lena might’ve felt was practically nonexistent, overpowered by the sheer joy everyone was feeling for Alex and Sam. It was almost easy to ignore the fact that Kara was standing opposite her, framing the happy couple, in several photos.</p><p>Almost.</p><p>“Alright, I think I just need the brides for a few more shots,” James announced finally. “You all can head to the cocktail hour.”</p><p>Lena gave a quick farewell wave toward the couple before she turned and headed toward the veranda. Maybe if she walked quickly she could avoid—</p><p>“Lena?”</p><p>She almost toppled off of her high heels as Eliza called to her and hustled to catch up with her.</p><p>“Hi, Dr. Danvers,” Lena said in greeting.</p><p>“Oh, none of that, it’s Eliza,” the older woman said, pulling Lena into a quick hug that surprised Lena more than anything else had that day. “How are you, sweetheart? I haven’t seen you in so long.”</p><p>“I’m, uh, fine,” Lena replied, confused by the warm treatment.</p><p>“I imagine a wedding isn’t the easiest thing for you,” Eliza said sympathetically, then dropped her voice. “Sam told me you broke off an engagement not-so long ago.”</p><p>Lena’s cheeks pinked. Clearly Eliza didn’t know half of the full story, and on one hand she was grateful for that, while on the other that did make things feel a bit uncomfortable. “Well, I wouldn’t call it breaking off an engagement. I never actually said yes to his proposal.”</p><p>“Oh, well that’s…”</p><p>“We hadn’t really discussed marriage, and he sort of sprung the proposal on me with no warning,” Lena told her as they walked. “I suppose I should’ve broken it off with him much earlier, but the proposal was really the thing that made me realize that he wasn’t the one for me.”</p><p>Eliza nodded sagely. “Well, as difficult as something like that is, it’s good that you figured that out before the relationship progressed any further.”</p><p>“I suppose so,” Lena replied. “In the end, though, I don’t think marriage is really for me. I mean, after everything that’s happened over the past year, I’m really married to my work at this point.”</p><p>Eliza took Lena’s hand in hers and squeezed. “Now, I wouldn’t go that far. I always said that I was married to my work, and then I met Jeremiah. He understood my devotion to what I was doing and embraced it, encouraged it. That man never failed to lift me up and push me to even greater heights, both personally and professionally. And he made me want things with him that I thought I had settled for living without— a home, a family, children. The two of us figured out how to balance all of those things together. I know it’s not for everyone, but I’m just telling you, it’s very possible.”</p><p>Lena could feel her cheeks turning pink. “Thank you, Eliza. I think you have more faith in me than I have in myself.”</p><p>Eliza squeezed her hand gently again before walking ahead toward the veranda. Lena watched her go, a warmth spreading in her chest that she hadn’t felt in a long while.</p><p>“You told him no?”</p><p>She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of Kara’s voice behind her. She had forgotten, for a moment, that the other woman was walking behind them. Kara had to have heard everything she told Eliza. Now, as Lena turned to her at the entrance to the veranda, Kara stared at her with wide eyes.</p><p>“I told him no,” Lena replied. “We’re still working together on our nanobot project, when I have time, but Jack and I aren’t together romantically any more. We haven’t been for almost a year now.”</p><p>Kara blinked. “Why?”</p><p>Lena’s cheeks heated again. “Kara…“</p><p>“I need to know—“</p><p>“Kara! There you are!”</p><p>A man bumped into Lena as he passed her, hurrying to Kara while carrying two drinks in his hands.</p><p>“Oops, sorry about that,” he said, British accent strong. Then he turned to Kara. “Here you go, I got you a drink.”</p><p>“Thanks, William,” Kara said awkwardly. She took the drink and shook her head, looking between Lena and the man. “Oh, William, this is Lena Luthor, Lena, this is William Dey.”</p><p>William tucked his free hand around Kara’s waist as he turned around, and the move sent a blaze of jealousy down Lena’s spine. She did her best to tamp it down, though, as she leaned forward and shook the man’s hand.</p><p>“Lena Luthor,” he said, eyes wide. “Your reputation precedes you.”</p><p>“All good things, I hope,” Lena replied, squeezing a bit harder than necessary.</p><p>“Well, considering all the news surrounding LuthorCorp this year…”</p><p>“William!” Kara exclaimed. “We talked about this! Not at my sister’s wedding!”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry, but a reporter never lets a good opportunity for a story pass him up!” William laughed, throwing his hand up in mock surrender. “You’ll learn that one of these days, you know.”</p><p>Kara’s cheeks flushed and she took a sip of her drink. Her lips puckered as she swallowed and looked at the liquid like it had insulted her— a clear indication that it was stronger than her liking.</p><p>“Well, it was, um, a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dey,” Lena said, trying not to sound too forced. “Kara, I’ll see you at the reception.”</p><p>“Lena, wa—“ Kara began, but Lena ignored her, instead heading straight to the bar and ordering a drink.</p><p>“Your poem was beautiful. And I don’t think anyone else knew that you were freaking out inside.”</p><p>Lena turned from the bar with wide eyes. “Andy!”</p><p>Andrea pulled her into a tight hug. Lena had only seen the other woman for a moment during the receiving line, and had spotted her briefly in the crowd of guests during the ceremony, but she was very thankful that the other woman was there. Sam and Andrea were friends in the loosest sense of the word, and Lena knew that Sam had really only invited her so that Lena would have another friendly face amongst the guests.</p><p>“Seriously, are you okay?” Andrea asked.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Lena sighed. “I just met Kara’s boyfriend, some reporter named William Dey.”</p><p>“Oh, he’s not her boyfriend,” Andrea corrected, and Lena raised a brow. “Okay, I didn’t realize it when we took our seats, but we sat beside him and he and Russell hit it off. They were chatting before the ceremony and have been hanging out ever since— honestly, it’s like bromance at first sight.”</p><p>Lena snorted. “So… They’re not dating?”</p><p>“What’s it to you?” Andrea asked, raising a brow curiously.</p><p>“Andy!” Lena pouted.</p><p>“Okay, fine,” she sighed. “But no, they’re not dating. They work together, and William is sort of Kara’s mentor. He <em>wants</em> to be dating her. But he’s just her plus-one today as a friend.” Andrea’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “I kind of got the impression that he more-or-less invited himself to come along with her.”</p><p>“That’s rude,” Lena commented.</p><p>“Yeah, well, that’s a typical cis-het man for you,” Andrea shrugged, taking a sip of her drink.</p><p>“Andy, you realize that you’re dating a cis-het man, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, but he’s not <em>typical</em>, Russell is actually polite and thoughtful. Unlike some of the other Neanderthals I’ve dated in the past.”</p><p>“True, I do like Russell more than your past boyfriends,” Lena admitted.</p><p>Two hours later, Lena was definitely rethinking whether or not she liked Russell at all. It wasn’t that he was a bad guy by any stretch of the imagination, in fact he was super friendly— too friendly, honestly, because he had, indeed, struck up a fast friendship with William Dey. Which meant that even though Sam had arranged the seating chart so that Lena didn’t have to sit with Kara all evening and suffer through those hours of awkwardness, William kept finding his way over to the table where she was sitting with Andrea and Russell, which meant that Kara kept coming over as well.</p><p>Which meant that Lena was spending her night nursing multiple glasses of wine and, once dinner was over, multiple glasses of scotch.</p><p>She knew Kara wasn’t actually <em>with</em> William, but it was painfully obvious that he wanted her to be. From the too-familiar touches and the way he looked at her when he laughed or when she laughed, there might as well be a blinking neon sign on the man’s head that said <em>Date me, Kara Danvers</em>.</p><p>Lena truly hoped that she didn’t look like she had one, too.</p><p>It didn’t help that William made it clear that he had booked a room in a local hotel for after the ceremony, so he and Kara could spend a bit more time together. That thought alone made Lena’s skin crawl, and had her drinking more than she probably should.</p><p>She was three glasses of wine and two fingers of scotch in by the time the dancing started, and apparently that was enough to allow Sam and Andrea to pull her onto the dance floor. Sober-Lena did not and could not dance and, quite frankly, drunk-Lena couldn’t dance, either, but drunk-Lena’s brain didn’t fully realize that, and everyone else was leaning hard towards tipsy anyway so nobody really cared. Lena certainly didn’t.</p><p>At least, not until a warm body pressed against her from behind, so familiar that she didn’t even have to second-guess who it was. Lena leaned back into the warmth behind her and inhaled the sweet scent of Kara’s perfume as Kara’s hands settled on her hips, spreading wide over the silk dress she was wearing. The fabric rustled between them, vibrating through Lena’s skin even as the low bass beat from the speakers deafened her to anything else.</p><p>And God, it would’ve been so easy, so <em>damn easy</em>, just to stay there and pretend that everything was right and that this was fine, because whenever Kara touched her that’s exactly how Lena felt. But then another figure approached from the crowd, tall and dark, and began dancing beside them, drawing closer and closer until Lena felt the bile rising up in her throat.</p><p>“Lena!” Kara said loudly as she pulled away, and Lena looked back at where William had started dancing beside the blonde, but Kara was standing shock-stiff.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Lena huffed, though she wasn’t sure what exactly she was apologizing for— for breaking Kara’s heart the first or second time, for dancing with her like that, or for running away yet again. She took off, twisting through the crowd, until she found a small path away from the veranda.</p><p>Away from the crowd and the fairy-lights, the evening breeze blowing off the distant mountains was chilled, and it sobered Lena up remarkably quickly. She twisted through the stone buildings, past a darkened alcove from which she heard all-to-familiar moaning, until she finally came to a field. A thin expanse of grass and a gravel drive separated the buildings from row upon row of grape vines that twisted for miles into the inky black of the night.</p><p>“Lena?”</p><p>Her first instinct was to bolt, but a strong hand on her wrist stopped her. Lena turned with wide eyes to see Kara, her blonde curls falling from their perfectly-shaped style to frame her face wildly. She stood shorter than Lena, and upon closer inspection Lena realized that the other woman had kicked her heels off somewhere in her pursuit.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Lena repeated, still just as clueless about what she was actually apologizing for, but certain that she needed to say the words.</p><p>“No, I should apologize,” Kara said, dropping her wrist and rubbing the back of her neck anxiously. “I shouldn’t have started dancing with you like that.”</p><p>“Then why did you?” The question is out of Lena’s mouth before her brain can really process it, the result of alcohol simultaneously slowing down and speeding up her thoughts.</p><p>She could see the blush overtaking Kara’s cheeks and spreading down her neck even in the darkness. “I couldn’t resist. You looked so good.”</p><p>Lena wanted to kiss her. It was such a strong urge that she even caught herself leaning forward slightly, staring at Kara’s lips like something she wanted to devour. She knew the blonde would taste sweet, like the chocolate wedding cake and buttercream frosting, and intoxicating, like the wine she had been drinking all night. But Kara’s deer in headlights expression stopped her like a bucket of cold water.</p><p>Lena stepped away from her. “You shouldn’t say things like that. Not when you’re here with someone else.”</p><p>Kara bristled. “You’re a good one to talk.”</p><p>It was a low blow, even more painful from Kara’s lips. As soon as she said it, Kara’s face fell and she opened her mouth to take it back.</p><p>“Lena—“</p><p>“No, you’re right,” Lena sighed. “You’re right and you have every right to say it.”</p><p>“But I—“</p><p>“Kara, please,” Lena cut her off. She could feel her eyes beginning to water, and she blamed the chilly breeze, even though rationally she knew that wasn’t the case.</p><p>“I should go,” Kara said after a moment. “I shouldn’t have come out here.”</p><p>Lena didn’t argue with her, but Kara didn’t make any move to leave, either. Instead the blonde sighed.</p><p>“It was a beautiful wedding.”</p><p>Lena nodded. “Yeah.”</p><p>“Do you ever think…?” Kara’s voice trailed off. “Never mind.”</p><p>It was a question Kara had nearly asked once before, Lena remembered clearly. She had almost asked, and Lena had almost answered, but neither had been brave enough then.</p><p>Maybe this time would be different.</p><p>Lena caught Kara’s hand in hers. “Yeah. I mean, yes.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened. “Yeah?”</p><p>Lena nodded. “I think about it all the time.”</p><p>Kara blinked slowly, as Lena’s words processed in her mind. Her fingers twisted between Lena’s, sliding home until they were locked together.</p><p>“Me, too,” she whispered.</p><p>Lena would’ve kissed her then. She really would have, if it weren’t for the shouting coming from the walkway behind them.</p><p>“Kara! Oh, there you are.”</p><p>Lena wasn’t sure who let go first, but they dropped each others’ hands like they were burning just as William emerged from between the buildings.</p><p>“Sam and Alex are about to go,” William said, looking between them curiously. “I brought you a sparkler for the farewell procession.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Kara replied, taking the proffered stick. She looked back at Lena shyly. “Are you coming?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll be right behind you,” Lena replied.</p><p>William didn’t wait any longer. He took Kara’s hand in his and tugged her back toward the reception. Kara gave Lena one last glance over her shoulder before she disappeared around the corner.</p><p>Lena made her way back a bit slower, knowing it would take a bit longer for them to arrange the guests for the procession. She paused by the darkened alleyway on her way.</p><p>“Get your panties on and come wave goodbye to the brides, you slut.”</p><p>Andrea smoothed down her dress as she emerged from the shadows, looking every bit the regal heiress she was and not like a woman who just had a quickie during a wedding. Russell, for his part, looked a bit more chagrined as he tucked his shirt back into his pants.</p><p>“Slut is such a horrible word,” Andrea said haughtily, and Lena snorted.</p><p>“Well, Cinderella, if the shoe fits…”</p><p>Andrea bumped her shoulder against Lena’s, and they made their way back to the reception. They made their way through the empty space to the parking lot out front, where they were handed unlit sparklers and instructed to line the drive away from the building. Alex’s supervisor had loaned the happy couple his powder blue ‘52 Chevy Deluxe to drive to the airport, and it was decked out in streamers with a <em>Just Married</em> sign in the back window. Sam waved to Lena from the passenger’s side and pulled her into a hug as they began lighting the sparklers.</p><p>“Love you, Lee,” Sam told her with a squeeze.</p><p>“Have fun,” Lena murmured into her ear, then louder, “and use protection!”</p><p>Sam rolled her eyes dramatically as she got into the car. She leaned across the middle to give Alex a kiss for photos, then closed the door and they pulled away, through a tunnel of guests holding lit streamers. Lena smiled broadly at the disappearing car before turning to walk back inside.</p><p>Her eyes caught Kara’s across the empty drive, and she froze. The flickering gold light from the sparklers made the blonde look downright ethereal, in her blush-pink dress, her hair wild and unkempt after an evening of partying, her eyes glistening cerulean even in the night. She was looking at Lena with something between sadness and determination, a look that Lena couldn’t quite figure out.</p><p>As quickly as she had seen her, Kara disappeared, as the sparklers all began burning out around them. The evening was plunged into darkness, and when the bright overhead lights came on and the speakers crackled to life, wishing the guests a safe drive home, Kara was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“Are you good to drive?” Andrea asked, coming up beside Lena out of nowhere.</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Lena told her. “I’m staying at Eliza’s tonight, like I did last night, and we have a driver to take us there, courtesy of the venue.”</p><p>Andrea’s brow furrowed. “And where’s Kara staying?”</p><p>Lena blushed. “She was at the house last night, bunking with Alex, but I imagine she’ll go to the hotel with her plus-one.”</p><p>Andrea’s face fell. “Oh… Well then…”</p><p>“Yeah,” Lena replied. “Drive safe.”</p><p>——</p><p>The next morning found Lena unsurprisingly hungover. She roused herself from the guest bed and brushed her teeth futilely, trying to ignore the unkempt reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a lost cause, permanently stuck up on one side from sleeping with hairspray in, and would only be repaired with a shower, but she could only handle showering after she had some coffee. So she pulled her robe on over her t-shirt and pajama pants and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.</p><p>The kitchen already smelled like coffee and cinnamon, and Lena wasn’t surprised to find a familiar blonde flitting around— she was, however, surprised about which blonde it was.</p><p>“Oh!” she exclaimed as Kara rose from getting a pan from beneath the cabinet.</p><p>“Sorry!” Kara squeaked, reaching up with her free hand to push her glasses into place. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine,” Lena said apologetically. “I just wasn’t expecting you, that’s all. Is Eliza—?”</p><p>“Still asleep, I think,” Kara said. “Guess she overdid it last night.”</p><p>Lena snorted. “Well, she did fall asleep on the ride back.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”</p><p>“She snored a bit,” Lena admitted, then backpedaled. “But don’t you dare tell her I told you that!”</p><p>Kara chuckled. “Don’t worry, secret’s safe with me. Scout’s honor. Coffee?”</p><p>“Yes, please,” Lena replied. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as Kara poured a mug and prepared it just the way Lena liked— a bit of creamer and one small spoonful of sugar— before passing it across the island. “I thought you and William had a hotel room?”</p><p>Kara frowned and her shoulders tensed before she turned to open the oven. “No, <em>William</em> had a hotel room, although I think he’s already gone back to National City.”</p><p>Lena tried not to sound too keen as she sipped her coffee and replied, “Oh?”</p><p>Kara’s frown deepened and she put her hands on her hips. “He said some things… About inviting me over… Maybe inviting you over as well.”</p><p>“Oh… <em>Oh!</em>” Lena exclaimed, her stomach turning. “That’s… No, that’s…”</p><p>“Yeah, I wasn’t interested,” Kara said quickly, turning back to the cinnamon buns she had just removed from the oven. “Hope you’re not too disappointed.”</p><p>Lena scoffed. “Hardly.”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Kara agreed. “He comes across as such a nice guy at work.”</p><p>“Don’t they all,” Lena commented as she drank her coffee. She refilled her cup as Kara started spreading icing over the cinnamon buns, and she heard Eliza moving around at the top of the stairs. “I’m gonna go sit out on the deck.”</p><p>Lena secretly loved Midvale. She had never told Sam, or Alex, or Kara, but something about Eliza’s house felt more like home to her than any of the multiple houses that the Luthors owned. It was a strange feeling, and one she had no right to, but nevertheless the pervasive warmth in her chest seemed to grow every time she came here.</p><p>“Hey, you left without a cinnamon bun.”</p><p>Lena looked up as Kara came around the edge of the lounge she was sitting on. She was carrying a small tray, laden with her own cup of coffee and two cinnamon buns.</p><p>“Mind if I join you?” she asked sheepishly, and Lena nodded. Kara sat on the end opposite her, close but careful not to touch, and sat the tray down on the nearby table. “I’ll even let you have the one with the most icing.”</p><p>“A generous offer from Kara Danvers,” Lena teased, taking the saucer from Kara’s hand. She took a bite and it practically melted in her mouth. “Wow, these are amazing. Maybe better than Noonan’s.”</p><p>“Yeah, but don’t be too impressed with me,” Kara told her. “There’s a bakery in town that sells them frozen, so all I had to do was thaw them out and put them in the oven.”</p><p>“I’m surprised you don’t take an entire trunk of these back to National City with you,” Lena said. “I might.”</p><p>Kara shrugged. “I dunno… There’s something special about only getting them when I come here, you know? Like the novelty makes them even better.”</p><p>Lena nodded in understanding. She ate a few more bites, then glanced toward the house. “Is Eliza not going to join us?”</p><p>Kara’s cheeks turned pink. “I think she’s trying to give us some privacy.”</p><p>Lena could feel her own cheeks flush as well. “Oh.”</p><p>It was an opportunity, possibly the only one she would get, but still Lena hesitated. It would be easy to ignore the elephant in the room. She was going back to Metropolis in a few hours, and would probably only see Kara on rare occasions.</p><p>But Sam’s words still echoed in her mind. She needed to talk to Kara, not only because she would be godmother to Sam and Alex’s child, that was only a tiny part of the reason. No, she needed to say the words in her mind because Kara deserved to hear them. She put down her empty saucer and braced herself.</p><p>“I owe you an apology,” she said, watching Kara’s face for her reaction.</p><p>The blonde grimaced, then her features hardened as she set down her mug. “You don’t have to—“</p><p>“No, Kara, I do,” Lena argued. “Please… I’m not asking for forgiveness, because I’m not even sure that I deserve it. But I owe you an apology for how much I hurt you, for how I used you. I didn’t think at the time about how what I was doing would hurt you or anyone else. I was selfish. I was blind to how my actions would affect anyone but me. And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that I hurt you again.”</p><p>Kara’s hands clenched in her lap. Her eyes flickered over Lena’s face, then away, and back again.</p><p>“What you said last night,” Kara began, “that you think about us…”</p><p>“I do,” Lena said, reaching for Kara’s hand, but the blonde pulled away.</p><p>“I don’t think I can do that, Lena,” she said, voice shaking with vulnerability. She wasn’t looking at Lena’s eyes, but at her outstretched hand. “Not again.”</p><p>Lena pulled her hand back. “No, you’re right. And I’m not asking you to. But I won’t lie. I wish that I had done things differently. That I could take back all the hurt that I caused you, not just last year but in all the things I’ve done before. I won’t make excuses for myself, I was immature and selfish and unthinking and you… Kara, you deserve so much more than that.”</p><p>Kara looked up then, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Lena wanted to reach for her again, but instead she wrapped her arms around her own midriff and dug her fingers into her ribs.</p><p>“I want you to be happy,” Lena said. “You deserve someone who will love you in all the ways I’ve always wished that I could, but I’ve been too stupid to do it. I think I’ll always regret that, that I was too stupid to see how much I was hurting you, and that I was too foolish to see how good things could’ve been if I had just—“ Her voice cracked and she froze, held her breath until she felt like she could control it again. “Anyway, you deserve to know how sorry I am. I don’t expect anything back, and I’m not saying it to put pressure on you. I just—“</p><p>A buzz from the sofa between them interrupted her, and Lena looked down at her phone with a frustrated sigh.</p><p>“I’m sorry, that’s my alarm to go get ready or I’ll miss my flight,” she huffed.</p><p>“No, you should go,” Kara said, her voice rough with emotion.</p><p>“Kara—“</p><p>“You should go,” Kara repeated. “I— I don’t— I’m not sure what to say, honestly. So maybe you should just…”</p><p>“Okay,” Lena replied. “Okay.”</p><p>She rose awkwardly from the lounge and reached for her plate and mug.</p><p>“I’ll get that,” Kara volunteered. “Just leave it.”</p><p>“Oh, alright,” Lena said awkwardly. She stood uncomfortably for a long moment, tugging at the belt of her fluffy robe, fighting the urge to touch Kara in some way, before she was finally able to turn away and make her way inside.</p><p>She took longer than she should in the shower, rinsing the residual hairspray from her hair and scrubbing her skin until it was pink and raw. If she could taste salt as she did so, well, no one would know.</p><p>By the time she was dressed and ready, her scheduled town car was already waiting in the driveway. Lena did a final sweep of the guest room to be sure that she wasn’t forgetting anything, and headed downstairs. She was hoping Kara would still be there, but as she looked around she only found one person.</p><p>“Eliza?” she said hesitantly. The older woman was nursing a cup of coffee and Lena was cautious to guess how many cups that made for her. “I guess I’m heading out.”</p><p>Eliza stood quickly and hurried to her, wrapping her in a tight hug before Lena could really prepare herself. She reached up awkwardly around the straps of her carry-on bag and purse to pat the other woman’s back.</p><p>“Do you need anything before you go? More coffee? A cinnamon bun for the road?” Eliza asked, pulling away and looking her over.</p><p>“No, no, I’ll be fine,” Lena assured her. “I was hoping to tell Kara goodbye before I leave. Is she still around?”</p><p>Eliza’s face fell. “I needed some chicken stock for dinner, and she offered to drive into town for me. She said to tell you goodbye if she wasn’t back when you left.”</p><p>“Oh,” Lena replied, trying to mask her disappointment. Apparently she failed, because Eliza immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulder.</p><p>“I think she needed a little more time to think about whatever you two talked about before,” she said, her voice low.</p><p>A bolt of fear pierced Lena’s heart at the idea of Eliza knowing everything she had done. “Did she say—?”</p><p>“No, no, she and I both agree that whatever happens between the two of you is your business, unless she really needs my help sorting through it,” Eliza replied. “But I do know that she was hurt by whatever happened last year. She’s still hurting.”</p><p>Lena’s face fell. “I didn’t mean to hurt her.”</p><p>“People rarely do,” Eliza said simply. “There are very few truly cruel people in this world, and you, my dear, are not one of them.”</p><p>Lena sniffled. “You hardly know me.”</p><p>“Yes, but I know Kara, and I know Alex and Sam,” Eliza told her. “I trust their judgement.”</p><p>A horn sounded from outside and Lena tried to pull herself together. “I need to go. I wish I could wait for her to come back.”</p><p>“I’m not sure she was ready for that today,” Eliza sighed. “But like I said, I know Kara. I’ve seen how she is around you. When she’s ready, she’ll come to you. She’ll find you.”</p><p>“You really think so?” Lena asked.</p><p>“Kara fights for the ones she loves,” Eliza said resolutely. “And you, my darling girl? She loves you.”</p><p>Lena reached for Eliza again, and the older woman gave her one more tight hug.</p><p>“Thank you,” Lena murmured. “Do tell her I said goodbye, though.”</p><p>“Of course,” Eliza agreed.</p><p>If this were the movies, then Kara’s car would’ve pulled into the drive just as Lena was loading her bag into the trunk of the town car. They would’ve shared a tearful embrace, followed by fervent confessions of love. And then they would’ve kissed…</p><p>But it wasn’t like the movies. Lena got into the car, and Kara never appeared. She walked into the airport, and there was no blonde running to catch up and stop her from getting onto her plane. She arrived back in Metropolis, and returned to her empty apartment, alone.</p><p>But Lena wished, with every fiber of her being, that things were different.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. August 2, 2016</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lena stared out the window of her office and over the National City skyline. She loved her new office, from the wall of windows to the light neutral colors to the open, modern design. Everything was done to bring the light inside, to make the place as open and airy as possible.</p><p>It was a stark contrast to Lex’s old executive office in Metropolis.</p><p>The speaker on her desk beeped to life. “Miss Luthor? The reporter is here for your eleven o’clock interview.”</p><p>Lena glanced at the clock on the wall. Ten fifty-nine.</p><p>“Send them in, Jess,” she replied.</p><p>She heard the door open and close behind her, but she was loath to turn away from the window. She had been dreading this interview for weeks, but it was the first step in her new path, both for her life and for her company, so it was a necessary evil. She took one last look over the city’s gleaming buildings and turned around.</p><p>And her heart stopped.</p><p>“K— Kara?”</p><p>Standing in the middle of her office, wearing a pastel pink cardigan, hair pulled back into a familiar curled ponytail, was the last person Lena had expected to see. She blinked in shock for a long moment, then swallowed hard in an attempt to regain her composure.</p><p>“I thought Cat was sending a reporter?” she said, and immediately regretted her words.</p><p>Kara cringed and tightened her grip on the notepad she was clutching to her chest. “Do you mind a cub reporter?”</p><p>Lena’s shock was instantly replaced with joy. “She finally promoted you?”</p><p>A small, proud grin tugged at the corners of Kara’s lips. “Actually… She said I could pick whatever position I want. I said reporter, but it’s kind of on a trial basis now, to see how I like it and how I do. But when your name came up for this interview, well, I couldn’t exactly pass that up. So I asked if I could do it.”</p><p>Lena smiled broadly. “I’m so glad it’s you. Please, have a seat.”</p><p>Kara moved to sit in one of the chairs across from Lena, the awkwardness gone. Lena tried to get her heart and mind to slow down, but the idea that Kara had asked to come interview her was sending her into a small tailspin.</p><p>“Do you mind if I record this?” Kara asked, pulling a small voice recorder from her bag.</p><p>“No, not at all,” Lena replied, schooling her features into a mask of professionalism.</p><p>She had been dreading this interview for months, ever since she was approved as the CEO of LuthorCorp following Lex’s trial. Having Kara as the reporter put her at ease for a moment, but she quickly realized that that was a mistake— Kara wasn’t as cutthroat as another reporter might be, but she didn’t pull any punches. It was perhaps even more difficult, because between all of the factual questions about the events of the past year, Kara asked questions about Lena’s thoughts and emotions. And there was plenty of material to cover— Lex’s arrest, trial, and convictions for terrorism, treason, and other business-related charges, Lillian’s charges of tampering with evidence and subsequent acquittal only to be ousted from the company for improper management of funds, Lena’s rise to CEO, and the upcoming renaming of the company to L-Corp.</p><p>After an hour and a half, Lena felt more emotionally worn than she ever had after a therapy session. Kara looked down at her pages of notes, then at the voice recorder, which had started blinking a red dot that Lena thought probably wasn’t a good sign.</p><p>“One more question,” Kara assured her. “Why did you decide to relocate to National City?”</p><p>Lena sighed with exhaustion. “I couldn’t see keeping the company headquarters in Metropolis. Professionally, many high-level employees there had been complicit in Lex’s crimes, and I didn’t want to work with them any longer. There was always going to be a shadow hanging over the company there. In a new city, with a renamed company and a reorganized board and executive team, I think I can steer my family’s company into something good. National City was a natural choice, our satellite office here already had a strong foundation, there are several tech companies already established here with whom we can both compete and collaborate, and there’s a strong work force to pull from in the local population.”</p><p>Kara raised her brow. “Nothing personal?”</p><p>Lena’s heart gave a flutter, but she glanced at the recorder. “Well, one of my most-trusted employees, who is now my CFO, Samantha Arias, was already established here with her family, including my god-daughter. And I wasn’t exactly opposed to being closer to them.”</p><p>Kara smiled fondly. “Don’t worry, I won’t put that into the article.”</p><p>The light on the recording device blinked out and it let out a sharp <em>beep</em>. Kara chuckled.</p><p>“I guess that concludes the interview.”</p><p>Lena stood as Kara put away her things and made her way around the desk. When Kara stood, it took every bit of control Lena had to keep her hand from shaking as she held it toward her.</p><p>“I’m glad Cat sent you,” Lena told her. “It was a lot easier parsing through all that with someone that I know so well.”</p><p>Kara stared at Lena’s hand for a long moment before taking it in her own and shaking it. “I’ll be sure to send you a copy of the article before it’s printed.</p><p>“You don’t have to do that. I trust you.”</p><p>Kara bit her lip, and the action sent a bolt of want through Lena’s entire system. God, this was not good. Lena thought that she had these feelings all locked away, but just a few hours in Kara’s presence had opened the floodgates. It took her far too long to realize that she was still holding Kara’s hand, and when she released her own grip, Kara’s was still just as tight.</p><p>“Do you have lunch plans?” the blonde asked suddenly. Lena’s face must’ve shown her surprise because Kara immediately let go of Lena’s hand and glanced down at her feet, then back up nervously. “I know it’s early, but I’ll probably grab something on my way back to CatCo and I thought you might want to go with me?”</p><p>It was tempting, <em>oh so tempting</em> to say yes. But instead Lena glanced at the clock over Kara’s shoulders and steeled herself.</p><p>“I’m afraid I have to decline, as much as I appreciate the offer,” she told her. “I’ll be spending my lunch working, I have a conference call with Palmer Tech starting in fifteen minutes. Raincheck?”</p><p>“Oh,” Kara replied, nodding. “Yeah, um, that’s fine.”</p><p>They made their way to the door, and Lena could practically feel the dejection pouring off Kara in waves. She reached for the handle, then stopped herself.</p><p>“Will you be at the press conference Thursday afternoon?” she asked. “I’m making the official announcement of the company name change and revealing the new logo. It would be really nice to see a familiar face in the crowd.”</p><p>A small, shy smile tugged at the corners of Kara’s lips. “I’ll be there.”</p><p>“Great,” Lena said brightly, and she hated how breathy her voice sounded. “I’ll see you there.”</p><p>As she opened the door, Kara lingered for a moment, just outside of her personal space. She could practically feel a typical Danvers-hug coming on, could sense it in Kara’s body language, like the air shifted between them before the blonde even moved. But there was also a tense unease in Kara’s muscles, so just as quick as Lena sensed the woman’s desire to hug, she knew that she would not receive one.</p><p>“I’ll see you Thursday,” Kara assured her, and then she hurried from the office.</p><p>Lena watched her go, her eyes following the line of her shoulders beneath the pale pink cardigan until Kara rounded the corner toward the elevators. Then she closed the door with a sigh and made her way back toward her desk.</p><p>Hope was a hard thing to crush, especially when it came to Kara Danvers. Lena had plenty of experience with disappointment, and failure, and pushing her own hopes and dreams down in favor of misplaced loyalty to her family, or her company. She had done it for years. And yet, for some reason, when it came to Kara, she could never quite extinguish that little candle of hope that still burned in the back of her mind, and in her heart. She couldn’t stop herself from loving Kara any more successfully than she could stop herself from breathing, no matter how many times she had tried through the years. And she would be lying to herself if she said that Kara’s presence in National City hadn’t been in the back of her mind when she had decided to relocate there.</p><p>She sighed as she retrieved her salad from the small refrigerator camouflaged behind a wall panel and sat back down in her chair. She had no right to hope for anything with Kara. She had done so much damage to their relationship through the years, had hurt Kara so deeply, that Lena thought she didn’t even deserve another chance. And yet, the looks Kara gave her, the body language that Lena could read even easier than her own… it all added fuel to the tiny spark of hope in Lena’s chest.</p><p>The speaker on her desk beeped to life again. “Miss Luthor? Are you ready to begin your one o’clock call with Ray Palmer?”</p><p>Lena glanced at the clock on the wall. Twelve fifty-nine. She really liked her new assistant.</p><p>She straightened her spine against the back of her chair; even though it wouldn’t be visible through the phone, it would affect her tone and demeanor. Some lessons learned as a Luthor were still relevant, after all. With the subtle change in posture, she tucked all thoughts of her own emotions into a tiny mental compartment and returned to her work-persona.</p><p>“Yes, thank you, Jess,” she replied. “Put them through.”</p><p>——</p><p>“By renaming my company L-Corp, we will usher in a new age of cooperation and community. Together we will chart a brighter future. Thank you.”</p><p>Lena breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped down from the podium in the middle of National City’s Bayview Park. She hated public speaking, but it was something she had to do more and more of over the past year. The press conference had been an overall success— she hadn’t stuck her foot in her mouth, there was a decent turnout of press and members of the community, and there had been no assassination attempts, in spite of her brother’s threats in his letters from prison. In fact, as she stepped out of the limelight and toward a familiar blonde, she didn’t think the day could get much better.</p><p>“You did well,” Kara said as soon as she saw her, and Lena smiled fondly. Leave it to Kara to still remember her fear of public speaking .</p><p>“Thank you,” she replied. “Oh, and I read your draft of the article this morning. It was perfect, more than perfect. You have such a way with words, Kara.”</p><p>Lena had cried when she read it. It wasn’t the content of the article itself, but the sheer talent she could see in Kara’s writing. The tears had come from pride in what Kara could do, but also from regret that her own actions could’ve somehow kept such a wonderful mind from reaching its full potential.</p><p>Kara ducked her head bashfully. “Thank you. I’m glad you liked it. I’ve done a few fluff pieces, interviewed a few community members, but nothing quite as big as this before. And nobody that I know quite as well as I know you, so that put a completely different kind of pressure on me. I didn’t want to screw it up, but I also couldn’t show you too much favor.”</p><p>“Well, I think you balanced it out quite beautifully,” Lena assured her as they walked away from the small plaza where she had held the conference. “It’s exactly the kind of press my company needs after what Lex did. I can’t be perfect, but I want to at least try to be honest.”</p><p>They paused at the end of the walkway. One direction led out of the park and back toward the business sector of town, where LuthorCorp, now L-Corp, was located. The other led further into the park. Kara shifted nervously from one foot to the other.</p><p>“About that raincheck?” Kara said hopefully. “There’s always a couple of food trucks parked near the playground. One’s Korean barbecue, and I’ve been dying to try it. Unless you have to get back to the office.”</p><p>Lena bit her lip, trying to fight back a grin, but it was a losing battle. She glanced down at her watch dramatically. “I think I’ve worked enough sixteen-hour days this week. I deserve a bit of a break.”</p><p>“Definitely,” Kara agreed.</p><p>“Korean barbecue it is, then.”</p><p>Twenty minutes later, Lena was sitting on a park bench beside Kara, a barbecue rice bowl in her hands, and a tray of veggie dumplings perched between them, listening to Kara let out a near-orgasmic moan as she took her first bite.</p><p>“Ooo, Alex is gonna be so mad that I didn’t wait on her to try this place,” Kara giggled as she dug in for her next bite. “We’ve been talking about trying it out, but she’s been so busy.”</p><p>“Well, I’m sure life with a nine-month-old is keeping her on her toes,” Lena replied. “Plus I’ve kept Sam busy becoming my CFO, so she’s had to pull even more weight.”</p><p>“Trust me, she doesn’t mind,” Kara assured her. “Alex was born to be a mother. She loves Ruby so freaking much, and she is just so stinking good at it. Like she constantly worries that she’s screwing up but whenever I see them, she’s just… amazing.”</p><p>“Agreed,” Lena said around her bite. “Honestly, Ruby has to be the most loved baby on the face of the Earth.”</p><p>“And don’t forget spoiled,” Kara commented. “Between Eliza and you, I don’t know if there’s a toy or a book that baby doesn’t have already.”</p><p>“Excuse you, I am well within my rights as godmother to buy as many baby toys and books as I can afford, which, might I add, is a significant number.” Lena stabbed her chopsticks at the dumplings with more force than necessary. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll ever have kids of my own to spoil. Might as well indulge my goddaughter.”</p><p>Kara’s face twisted oddly. “You don’t want children?”</p><p>Lena blanched, and she almost dropped her dumpling. “It’s not that, exactly. I just can’t see myself with them, especially not now. I’m a bit of a workaholic, if you didn’t know. Plus, I’m not sure the Luthor genes deserve to be passed on. And with the example I had growing up with Lillian, I’m not sure I’d make a very good mother anyway.”</p><p>Kara was quiet for a long moment, as Lena bit into her dumpling and chewed it thoughtfully. When she finally spoke, Lena almost choked on her food.</p><p>“I think you’d be a great mom. Alex says you’re great with Ruby. With the right partner, I think you could do anything you set your mind to.”</p><p>Kara’s voice was hushed, barely more than a whisper, and her words were all the more powerful for it. Lena finished the dumpling, chewing slowly so as to process Kara’s words.</p><p>“You always give me more credit than I deserve, you know.”</p><p>Kara scoffed. “Nah. You just never give yourself enough.”</p><p>Lena’s entire body stiffened at Kara’s words, and her hands started shaking. She placed the lid on her rice bowl and sat it down between them, much to Kara’s confusion.</p><p>“You can’t just say things like that,” she muttered.</p><p>“I— What do you mean?” Kara asked. “I was just being honest.”</p><p>“Yes, but… Things like that… Like you know me.”</p><p>“I <em>do</em> know you, Lena,” Kara said, flabbergasted. “At least, I like to think I do.”</p><p>Lena stood from her seat and paced in front of the bench. “Yeah, you do. But we’re not… You can’t <em>say</em> things like that when we’re just… I don’t know. What are we? We’re not even exes because we were never really together, were we? Or were we? What are we now? Your sister is married to my best friend, your niece is my goddaughter. You come to interview me and we go grab a bite to eat but I don’t know… I don’t know what we are, Kara!”</p><p>Kara stared up at her for a long moment, fingers clenched around her own bowl. Then she reached for the lid and snapped it closed, each motion slow and deliberate, before putting it aside and looking up at Lena.</p><p>“I was hoping we could be friends,” she said, her voice hesitant. “I mean, now that we live in the same city, we’re bound to see each other more often, especially considering how involved we both want to be with Ruby and with Sam and Alex. So I thought we could at least try to be friends, you know, to make things less awkward. And maybe we could spend some time hanging out, just the two of us, like this.”</p><p>Lena let out a long, shaky breath. “Hanging out… as friends?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara said, her voice a bit louder, hopeful.</p><p>Lena’s fists clenched at her side so tightly that her short, manicured nails dug almost painfully into her palms. It was tempting— God, it was so damn tempting to say yes, to agree to what Kara said. But saying yes would be the easy part. Everything else…</p><p>A mirthless laugh bubbled out of Lena’s throat, and Kara looked at her with a mixture of surprise and concern.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Lena shook her head, trying to organize her thoughts into something coherent. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t… I can’t be your friend, Kara.”</p><p>She turned and took two steps away, but Kara stood and made to follow, and that stopped Lena before she could commit to her escape.</p><p>“<em>You</em> can’t?” Kara asked. “After everything… <em>You</em> were the one who always broke <em>my</em> heart, Lena. Over and over again. And yet here I am offering friendship, and <em>you’re</em> the one who says she can’t bear it?”</p><p>Lena’s eyes widened. “It isn’t because of that. Not really.”</p><p>“Then what is it?” Kara demanded. “Is this just another way for you to run away again? Because that’s just cowardly, Lena. I thought you had finally grown up and gotten better than that.”</p><p>Lena bristled. “I’m not running!”</p><p>“Sure looked like it!” Kara exclaimed, then lowered her voice. “If it’s not that, then what is it? What’s keeping you from being my friend? It’s not like I’m asking you to be my lover…”</p><p>“Because I love you!”</p><p>The words were out of Lena’s mouth before she could stop them, and as she saw Kara begin to process them, she hated herself for the slip in control. She stiffened her spine as the emotions flickered over Kara’s face, so quickly even she couldn’t get a read on anything other than shock and then confusion.</p><p>“You don’t love me. That doesn’t make sense!”</p><p>Lena sighed. “I love you, Kara Danvers. I think I’ve been in love with you for six years now, I was just too foolish and too stubborn to admit it, to you or to myself. But I do. I’m in love with you. And the thought of trying to be your friend, of just hanging out and spending time together as friends… As much as I want to be around you, more than anything in the world, and as much as I don’t even really deserve your friendship after everything I’ve put you through and all the times I’ve hurt you… Just being your friend would be absolute torture. The sweetest torture I’ve ever known, yes, but unbearable nonetheless. Because the thing is, I don’t just want to be your friend. I want… I want more than that. But I—“</p><p>Lena’s voice cracked with emotion, and she paused, trying to get control back. She could feel tears in her eyes, but she held them in, taking deep, choking breaths in the hot summer air.</p><p>“You want <em>more</em> with me?” Kara asked, voice rough.</p><p>“I know I don’t deserve it,” Lena replied. “I threw away my chance at that, and I understand. I understand why you would only want to be friends with me. And maybe it’s selfish for me to say no, but… I have to. I can’t just be your friend, Kara. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Kara stared at her, mouth agape, frozen in place. Lena looked around at the park bench beside them, at the people milling around. Suddenly she couldn’t stay. She shuffled past Kara to get her trash.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she repeated.</p><p>Kara grabbed her arm, her grip almost bruising for a moment before she schooled herself and loosened it.</p><p>“What if I want more, too?”</p><p>Lena blinked up at her. “You—“</p><p>“I wanted to be friends… Well, I didn’t but…” Kara ducked her head as she thought through her words. It was endearing to Lena, how someone who could write so eloquently often struggled to speak in coherent sentences. It was because Kara felt things so deeply, that Lena knew. Kara cleared her throat and tried again. “I asked you to be friends because I thought maybe that would be a good place to start. That we could build on it, rebuild our trust and our relationship. But I would be lying if I said that was all I wanted, in the long run.”</p><p>Lena barely dared to speak, barely dared to breath. But as Kara looked at her with earnest blue eyes, she knew she had to say something, and yet all she could muster was a quiet, “Oh.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kara said, her cheeks flushing. “The thing is, Lena… I want so much more with you. I— I want <em>everything</em>.”</p><p>There was a tiny spark igniting in Lena’s chest, a tiny glowing she had thought extinguished. Her doubt tried to smother it, but still it burned, growing brighter with each second.</p><p>“Are you sure?” she asked.</p><p>Kara bit her lip and trailed her hand down Lena’s arm until she could intertwine their fingers together.</p><p>“Promise me that you won’t run away,” she said. “Promise me that you’ll be honest with me.”</p><p>“I promise,” Lena said quickly.</p><p>Kara stared down at her for a long moment. “Okay. Then I’m sure.”</p><p>Lena’s eyes grew wide with wonderment. “Oh.”</p><p>Kara smiled broadly, and her eyes flickered down to Lena’s lips. Then she glanced around them, and her face fell a bit.</p><p>“I really want to kiss you,” she murmured. “But I’m not sure if this is the best place. Somebody might see, and I don’t want it to reflect badly on you, or on L-Corp.”</p><p>Lena’s heart beat rapidly in her chest, and she made up her mind right then and there to shed the last remnants of her family’s hold on her. “I don’t care.”</p><p>“What?” Kara gasped, eyes widening.</p><p>Lena grinned. “I don’t care. I’m not going to live my life in hiding anymore. I’m not going to hide what I feel for you, not for my mother, not for my family, not for my company.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Kara asked.</p><p>Lena’s grin widened. “Am I sure I want my girlfriend to kiss me in the middle of the park? Yes, quite.”</p><p>Now it was Kara’s turn to grin. “Girlfriend, huh?”</p><p>“If that’s what you want to be,” Lena told her.</p><p>“Yes,” Kara said with a slight nod. “That’s definitely what I want to be.”</p><p>And then Kara kissed her, with the August sun streaming down on them, in the middle of the park, with people on every side, and Lena?</p><p>Lena felt like she could fly.</p><p>——</p><p>
  <strong>August 27, 2016</strong>
</p><p>“<em>Fuck</em>, Lena!”</p><p>Lena grinned smugly and wiped her face as Kara shuddered above her. The blonde released her white-knuckled grip on the headboard and flopped onto the mattress beside Lena, her naked abs still quivering with aftershocks. Lena turned onto her side and tossed her leg over Kara’s thigh, then began tracing swirls over her damp skin.</p><p>“Mmm, just gimme a minute,” Kara groaned, her arm over her face muffling her voice.</p><p>“Take as long as you need,” Lena giggled, pressing a kiss into Kara’s shoulder.</p><p>Finally Kara lowered her arm from her face. “Golly, if I had known wearing that dress was going to garner that sort of a reaction…”</p><p>“Well, you did look particularly gorgeous tonight,” Lena told her honestly.</p><p>“Thanks,” Kara chuckled, then sighed contentedly. “We should’ve gone back to my place.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”</p><p>“Because my harness and toys are there and I really wanna fuck you with a strap-on.”</p><p>Lena groaned. “Okay, look, you cannot say <em>golly</em> like you’re some ingénue, then talk about railing me with a strap thirty seconds later. It gives me whiplash.”</p><p>Kara grinned. “Yeah, but you like it.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah I do,” Lena agreed, scooting even closer to Kara’s side.</p><p>They had been together for almost a month, the longest consecutive amount of time they had ever spent together, and Lena had never been happier. Date nights had turned into afternoon lunches and game nights with Kara’s friends— who had all been surprisingly inviting of Lena. Lena had spent the weekend prior cuddled up on Kara’s sofa, and in her bed at night. This weekend, L-Corp had sponsored a charity gala, and Lena had decided to invite Kara as her date. It was a big step, not just for them as a couple, but for Lena personally. She had informed the company PR team ahead of time and been pleasantly surprised with the head of media relations— a middle-aged woman named Pamela with a very butch hairstyle— had told her they would handle it and she had nothing to worry about.</p><p>So she had gone all out, buying Kara a designer gown that would compliment her own dress, renting a limo to take them to and from the gala. She had even asked the caterers to include potstickers on the menu, so Kara could have her favorite food.</p><p>It had been a roaring success. If anyone had something negative to say about Lena’s choice of date, they kept it to themselves, and most of the guests had been downright overjoyed when Lena introduced Kara as her girlfriend. And Lena could see Kara’s pride swelling with every person they met, with every introduction made.</p><p>When they finally left, Kara had rolled up the partition and the bottom of Lena’s dress until she could get her hand inside Lena’s underwear, and had shown Lena exactly how much she liked being her girlfriend right there in the backseat of the limo.</p><p>Overall, the night had been absolutely amazing. Lena was still a bit in shock over how incredibly easy being with Kara was. For the first time in her life, she felt like she could just breath and <em>be</em>, and she thought Kara felt the same way.</p><p>“Have you ever thought about <em>not</em> living out of a hotel?” Kara asked, drawing Lena out of her thoughts.</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>She could feel Kara’s lips quirk up into a smile against her forehead. The blonde was playing with her fingers, tapping each one with her own before tracing the outline with her thumb.</p><p>“It’s just a little weird, is all,” Kara said. “No offense.”</p><p>Lena snorted. “I know it’s weird, but I don’t mind.”</p><p>“I feel like even a really nice apartment would be cheaper,” Kara speculated.</p><p>“Kara, we’ve talked about the ridiculous amount of money I make.”</p><p>“Yeah, and if you didn’t donate so much of it or reinvest it back into the economy, I’d still be pissed,” Kara shrugged, her shoulder bobbing beneath Lena’s head. “But back to what I was saying, it’s just kind of weird to be living out of a hotel room for… what? Six months?”</p><p>Lena sighed. “Well, I wasn’t sure if the move was going to be permanent.”</p><p>Kara’s hand froze against Lena’s. “What do you mean?”</p><p>Lena turned Kara’s hand over and started tracing the veins running along the back of it. “It’s silly, I guess. I had already been appointed CEO, and the move had been approved by the board. I suppose I was envisioning something along the lines of torches and pitchforks.”</p><p>Kara snorted. “You’re not a witch.”</p><p>“No, but I’m a Luthor, and sister to a man who killed hundreds directly and thousands indirectly,” Lena sighed. “And that’s not taking into account Lionel’s business dealings and all the blood on his hands.”</p><p>Kara twisted her hand in Lena’s grasp and twined their fingers together. “Their hands are not your hands.” She tugged Lena’s hand up to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. “And I happen to really, really like these hands. Especially your fingers.”</p><p>Lena shoved her away with a giggle. “Pervert.”</p><p>“Hey, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like mine, too,” Kara laughed, tugging Lena back to her side. She held their intertwined hands on her belly. “You could move in with me, if you wanted.”</p><p>The words were so soft, and so unexpected, that it took a long moment for them to actually process in Lena’s brain. When they finally did, she pushed herself away from Kara’s side and looked at her in shock.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Or you could get your own place,” Kara added quickly. “Or, you know, maybe a place where both of us would be comfortable. Not necessarily now but maybe, like, in the future. Like make sure the bathroom has two sinks for the mornings after I stay over and the closet has a corner for my clothes— because even living in a hotel, you have more clothes than me— and save a couple of drawers for me.”</p><p>“Kara Danvers, are you saying you want to move in together?”</p><p>Kara’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink that had nothing to do with her earlier orgasm. “I mean, I’m not opposed to it.”</p><p>“Kara…”</p><p>“I— Yeah. And I get it if you’re not ready for that, but… I dunno.” She reached up like she wanted to fidget with her glasses, but they were gone, perched askew on the bedside table, so instead Kara ran her fingers through her hair. “I like spending time with you. I <i>love</i> you. I love falling asleep cuddling you and waking up beside you.”</p><p>Lena blinked slowly. “We’ve been dating for like three weeks.”</p><p>“I mean, technically, it’s been longer than that, sort of,” Kara supplied. “We’ve known each other for <em>years</em>, Lena, and I’ve wanted to be with you for, well, a <em>really</em> long time. And it’s going well so far, don’t you think?”</p><p>“Spectacularly,” Lena agreed.</p><p>“So I don’t really see a reason why we can’t just go ahead and move in together,” Kara said with a nod, as if that concluded her argument. “You won’t have to stay in a hotel anymore. You can move in with me. But if my apartment isn't quite up to your standards—“</p><p>“I like your apartment,” Lena assured her, then bit her lip. “It’s a little short on storage space.”</p><p>“Does that mean you’re considering it?” Kara asked.</p><p>Lena groaned and buried her face in Kara’s neck. The blonde ran her hands up and down Lena’s spine until she pulled back.</p><p>“You know Sam and Alex are going to make so many u-haul jokes.”</p><p>Kara squealed and pulled Lena into a tight hug. “Is that a yes?”</p><p>Lena giggled and wrapped her arms around Kara’s shoulders. “That’s a yes.”</p><p>Kara squealed again and kissed Lena, her excitement and joy bleeding through with every motion of her lips and tongue against Lena’s.</p><p><em>Of course it was yes</em>, Lena thought. <em>It’s </em>always<em> been yes</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. August 26, 2017</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“And… <em>voila!</em>”</p><p>Lena rolled her eyes as her makeup artist stepped back, mascara brush in hand. The sunlight streamed through the windows of their private dressing room of the National City Botanical Gardens, casting Lena in a brilliant gold.</p><p>“Now, what color lipstick do you want?”</p><p>Lena turned toward the mirror to study her reflection, and she almost didn’t recognize herself. Gone were the dark circles that had for years taken up residence beneath her eyes. Instead tiny fine lines were beginning to crinkle the corners of her eyes, a result of millions of smiles over the last year. The sight would’ve sparked her inner critic at one point— the one that sounded remarkably like Lillian— but now that voice was silent.</p><p>It was content.</p><p>She took a sip of her champagne as she debated which shade of lipstick to wear. The glass was resting on a nearby side table, along with a notecard bearing familiar handwriting.</p><p>
  <em>Good morning, babe! I can’t wait to become your wife today! I love you, and I’ll see you in a little while. P.S.- I’ll be the one in white!</em>
</p><p>Lena grinned around her glass as she read over Kara’s words again, her heart so light that she thought she might float away at any moment. She heard the clicking of a camera shutter and knew that the photographer that was following them during wedding prep had caught her expression.</p><p>“Red, I think,” she told the stylist.</p><p>“Of course, Miss Luthor.”</p><p>The past year had been a whirlwind, an adventure, and the best year of her life. She had moved into Kara’s small apartment within a week of being invited, and just a few months later they had picked out a home together— a penthouse apartment located almost perfectly halfway between L-Corp and CatCo with four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, hardwood floors, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area and master bedroom that Lena absolutely loved. It reminded her of Kara’s small apartment in many good ways, but with modern amenities and more than enough space for both of them and the future they had planned.</p><p>A future that was very quickly approaching. Lena could feel the weight of her engagement ring on her left hand. It wasn’t heavy, at least not physically— nothing compared to the monstrosity that Jack had once given her. The white gold band was narrow, then spread into intricate fine filigree around the diamond. A halo of smaller diamonds surrounded the marquis-cut center stone that glinted in the sunlight that shone through the windows. It was the sentimentality that gave the ring weight— the center diamond had come from Kara’s mother’s engagement ring, and Kara had had it fitted into a band that she herself had helped design.</p><p>Kara had proposed at Christmas, perhaps a bit cliche, but it was perfect for them, because they were surrounded by their friends and family. It seemed both sudden and a long time coming, and yet Lena’s answer had been easy, undoubtedly <em>yes</em>. The timeline of their relationship’s past was irrelevant to the two of them; what was certain, in both of their minds, was that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.</p><p>Lena had never been one to dream about her future wedding, not the way Andrea or any other girls seemed to. She had grown up with an expectation that her wedding would be some stuffy, social affair. Whenever she tried to imagine it, she saw herself dressed in some sort of cupcake dress, lost in layer upon layer of satin and lace. She always pictured her father walking her down the aisle, her brother as one of the groomsmen, her mother smiling her cloyingly sweet smile as she walked down the aisle to some faceless groom, someone from a suitable family that her parents approved of, practically an arranged marriage.</p><p>She had never imagined Kara.</p><p>Kara, who loved princess movies and romantic comedies— even though she argued that they needed to be gayer. Kara who loved and was loved by everyone she ever met, who wanted to invite half of the staff at CatCo to her wedding. When it came down to it, Lena felt much more comfortable planning Kara’s wedding than her own. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she knew that she wanted to give Kara everything she could ever dream of.</p><p>Lena knew that Kara loved the Botanical Gardens, and when she had read on their website that they could host a wedding ceremony with over one hundred guests there, she had immediately booked them for their closest available date— August. Kara had been surprised, but thrilled with the idea. Then Lena had hired Eve Teschmacher, National City’s top wedding planner, to handle the arrangements, and since then, everything had been smooth sailing.</p><p>Well… Almost everything.</p><p>“Ruby, <em>please</em>,” Sam groaned as she struggled to get the toddler into her flower girl dress.</p><p>“Huh-uh!” Ruby grunted emphatically. “S’too scratchy!”</p><p>“You said it was comfy when we went for your fitting!” Sam grumbled. “It’s just for a little while, Rubes. And you’re gonna look beautiful.”</p><p>“No!” Ruby proclaimed, throwing herself down to the ground with a loud thunk, tears bubbling up in her eyes.</p><p>Sam sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment before turning back to her daughter. “I’ve got yogurt snacks in my bag.”</p><p>The crocodile tears dried up in record time, and ten minutes later, Ruby was in her dress, perched on a nearby sofa with an iPad propped up in front of her, watching <em>Bubble Guppies</em> and eating yogurt snacks from a container by the handful.</p><p>“Don’t judge me,” Sam grumbled as she sat down in a makeup chair for a touch-up. “Parenting is hard and I’m not above bribery.”</p><p>“No judgement here,” Andrea assured her from her own seat on Lena’s opposite side. Her hair and makeup was finished, so she was sitting around in her silk robe, waiting to change into her bridesmaid’s dress. “I’m never having crotch goblins, no matter how much Russell begs.”</p><p>“We’ll see about that,” Sam said smugly as her smudged lipstick was repaired.</p><p>“Alright, ladies, I think it’s about time you all get into your dresses,” the makeup artist, who worked for the wedding planner, informed them.</p><p>“Yay! I finally get to see you in the dress!” Andrea exclaimed. “Stupid Russian hackers had to choose the day you went dress shopping to try and hack Obsidian’s mainframe.”</p><p>“You’ll love it,” Sam assured her as they unzipped their own dresses from the garment bags. The two women helped each other zip and adjust while the makeup artist helped Lena get into her dress on the other side of a curtain.</p><p>“So how did you two pick out your dresses again?” Andrea asked.</p><p>“Well, Sam went with me, and Alex went with Kara, on the same day, different shops,” Lena explained. “And the two of them texted each other pictures of the dresses we picked to make sure we would go together.”</p><p>“So basically if they don’t look good together, she’s blaming me,” Sam concluded, sitting beside Ruby on the sofa.</p><p>“I trust you and Alex,” Lena replied. “You two have experience.”</p><p>“Yeah, but we did things a little differently. I had seen Alex’s suit, just not her wearing it. But she hadn’t seen my dress at all. Eliza did, though, just to give me a second opinion about whether they would look good together,” Sam said with a shrug. “But no matter what, you two are going to look gorgeous together.</p><p>“Okay, Miss Rojas, you just sit on this side of Ruby,” the photographer interrupted, positioning the two women.</p><p>“Ruby, are you ready to see Aunt Lena?” Sam asked, subtly sneaking the container of snacks away with one hand and moving the iPad with the other.</p><p>“Yeah!” Ruby exclaimed, looking toward the curtain.</p><p>“Alright, here she comes,” the makeup artist announced, stepping through the curtain. With a dramatic flair, she pulled open the drapes and Lena stepped out.</p><p>The camera clicked rapidly as the photographer captured the reveal and everyone’s reactions.</p><p>Lena’s dress was a simple satin mermaid-style gown with a bit of ruching over the midriff, and an off-the shoulder neckline that showed off her cleavage. Lena had paired it with a small diamond pendant necklace and earrings that her father had gifted her for her eighteenth birthday, and her hair was swept into an elegant up-do.</p><p>Before Sam could stop her, Ruby jumped up from the sofa and ran toward Lena, reaching out with tiny grabby hands toward the pristine white satin of her skirt.</p><p>“S’pretty, Lee,” she said, gently stroking the fabric gently with the very tip of one finger.</p><p>Lena chuckled and bent easily to pick up the little girl. “You like it?”</p><p>Ruby’s face scrunched up. “S’it scratchy?”</p><p>“No, baby, it’s very comfy,” Lena assured her.</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Ruby said in agreement. “I like it.”</p><p>“That’s good,” Lena replied. “And you know who’s the prettiest flower girl in the history of flower girls?”</p><p>“Me?” Ruby asked shyly.</p><p>“How did you know?” Lena gasped, tickling Ruby’s sides until the toddler squealed.</p><p>A knock on the door interrupted their revelry, and a moment later a blonde head poked inside.</p><p>“Eliza!” Lena exclaimed, beckoning her inside. “I thought you would be with Kara helping her get ready.”</p><p>“Oh, I have been, and I won’t stay here long,” Eliza told her. “I just wanted to come check on my daughter-to-be. My goodness, you look stunning.”</p><p>Lena felt tears well up in her eyes, but she fought them down to preserve her makeup. “I’m alright. I’m not half as nervous as Sam was before her wedding.”</p><p>“Hey!” Sam exclaimed, but her outrage was all bluster.</p><p>“Well, you look beautiful, my dear,” Eliza assured her.</p><p>“Thank you, Eliza,” Lena replied, putting down a squirming Ruby.</p><p>“I did have one thing that I wanted to give you,” Eliza told her, stepping closer. “I don’t know how you feel about wedding superstitions, but you know the old saying, something old, something new…”</p><p>“Something borrowed, something blue,” Lena concluded. “I know it, but I hadn’t thought much of it.”</p><p>“Well, your dresses are both new,” Eliza said. “And Kara has something old and blue in her mother’s necklace, you know.”</p><p>Lena nodded— she knew the necklace Eliza was referring to, one that Kara almost never took off.</p><p>“And she’s borrowing my veil from when I married Jeremiah,” Eliza concluded. “But I didn’t know if you had anything, so I found this old thing…”</p><p>From inside her purse, Eliza pulled out a handkerchief with blue floral embroidery around the edge.</p><p>“Jeremiah gave me this on our wedding day,” Eliza told her, “as my something new and something blue.”</p><p>“And I had it tucked between the layers of my dress on my wedding day,” Sam added.</p><p>“So we thought you might want to borrow it on your special day as well,” Eliza finished, tucking the piece of fabric between Lena’s hands.</p><p>“I— I don’t know what to say,” Lena said, sniffling. “I would be honored, Eliza. Thank you.”</p><p>“Of course, my darling girl,” Eliza said, leaning forward to kiss Lena’s cheek.</p><p>Eliza said her goodbyes, leaving Lena clutching the handkerchief with tears in her eyes.</p><p>“I know, I cried, too,” Sam told her. “Alex and Kara are great on their own, but getting a bonus mom through marrying them is a pretty awesome deal, too.”</p><p>Lena snorted. “You definitely have a point.”</p><p>“Yeah, seriously, are you sure Eliza and Jeremiah don’t have a handsome son hidden somewhere?” Andrea asked.</p><p>“You have Russell,” Lena reminded her.</p><p>“Yeah, and his mother’s a b— <em>witch</em>,” Andrea amended quickly, glancing at Ruby who was once again preoccupied with the iPad.</p><p>Lena snorted as Sam grabbed the champagne bottle and glasses.</p><p>“Alright, ladies, one more toast before we go down for photos,” she said. She filled the flutes and when they were all in place, they held them in the air. “To Lena and Kara, and a life filled with love and happiness.”</p><p>“To Lena and Kara,” Andrea seconded, and Lena blushed as they clinked their glasses and drank.</p><p>They made their way out of the dressing rooms and down to the ceremony space for photos, and Sam whistled as they made their way down the aisle, between the chiavari chairs, beneath the strings of fairy lights twisted with greenery and white flowers.</p><p>“This is incredible,” she said. “It looks like a fairytale.”</p><p>“Well, I wanted to give Kara a happy ending,” Lena said with a shrug.</p><p>“I thought that wasn’t supposed to happen until the honeymoon,” Andrea teased, raising her eyebrows.</p><p>“Oh stop!” Lena laughed, shoving her friend’s shoulders good-naturedly.</p><p>Sam’s brow furrowed. “I thought <em>you</em> wanted the fairytale wedding?”</p><p>“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Lena told her. “I just wanted to give Kara everything she could’ve possibly dreamed of.”</p><p>Their conversation was brought to a stop as the photographer started arranging the four of them for photos. They were on a strict schedule, courtesy of Miss Teschmacher. Alex, Eliza, and Winn— Kara’s very-flattered brides<em>man</em>— would be coming out for photos with Lena, and then Lena would go with another photographer to take solo photos in her dress while they all took photos with Kara. And then they would open the ceremony space for guests, and shortly after that…</p><p>Lena took a deep breath. She was getting married today— it was really happening.</p><p>The photographer directed them through several poses, from typical wedding party shots to some more candid-looking pictures. They were all lined up on the podium, with Ruby in front of them, when the toddler suddenly darted from the stage.</p><p>“Mama!” she shouted, the sound echoing through the open space. Alex, Eliza, and Winn were all walking down the aisle toward them, and as Ruby jumped toward her Alex scooped the toddler up into her arms with a practiced maneuver.</p><p>“Hello, pretty girl,” Alex cooed as she carried Ruby back to the front of the venue. “Are you being good for your mommy?”</p><p>“Mmhmm,” Ruby replied, focused instead on the necklace that Alex was wearing. “Pretty, Mama.”</p><p>“Thank you. What about Nana, does she look pretty, too?”</p><p>Ruby raised her head and peered over Alex’s shoulder at Eliza, then grinned. “Pretty, Nana.”</p><p>“And what about Winn?” Alex asked, a teasing grin on her face.</p><p>Ruby frowned deeply, then looked at Winn with a wrinkled brow. The nerdy man’s eyes widened, then he held his arms out in his suit for Ruby’s inspection.</p><p>“Pretty, ‘Inn,” Ruby declared with an emphatic nod, resulting in a chorus of laughter from the adults.</p><p>“Okay, I’ll need you over here, Winn, and Alex here,” the photographer began, pointing and directing everyone to their places.</p><p>“How’s Kara?” Lena whispered to Alex as they took their places.</p><p>Alex sighed. “She’s alright. A little freaked out, but she’ll be fine.”</p><p>Lena’s eyes widened in concern. “Freaked out?”</p><p>“Yeah, you know, about the crowd,” Alex supplied. “But don’t worry, she’ll get over it. She knows how much this means to you.”</p><p>Lena’s brow knit with confusion, but any questions she had would have to wait as the photographer began taking photos once again. They moved and were rearranged in every different possible combination of people, a flurry of movement and a cacophony of shutter clicks until the photographer was satisfied.</p><p>“Alright, Miss Luthor, you can go with Bella to get some individual photos,” the photographer said, gesturing to her assistant.</p><p>Lena followed the woman away from the ceremony space, to a small part of the gardens with a bridge over a koi pond. Here she posed for several minutes, before they moved on to an ivy-covered brick wall where they took even more pictures, and then headed back toward the ceremony space and the dressing rooms.</p><p>The first sign that something was amiss was a very flustered-looking Winn. He was pacing in front of the ceremony space, hair mussed up from running his fingers through it. The second sign was a very confused-looking photographer.</p><p>“Lena!” Sam shouted as they approached, handing Ruby off to a confused-looking Andrea before hurrying to her.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Lena asked.</p><p>“It’s Kara,” Sam said, lips twisting wryly. “She had a panic attack.”</p><p>“<em>What?</em>” Lena exclaimed, looking around for her fiancée, but the blonde was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“Alex and Eliza are with her in the dressing room,” Sam explained, seeing the concern on Lena’s face. “We got through most of the pictures, but she just kept looking out over all the chairs with this deer-in-headlights look, and then suddenly she started crying and ran back to her dressing room.”</p><p>“Shit,” Lena muttered, reaching down to pick up her skirt. “Shit, shit <em>shit!</em>”</p><p>She ran to the dressing rooms, ignoring the worried faces that followed her. She hurried through the prep area, to Kara’s dressing room, only to find it empty. She looked around frantically before heading back into the hallway, only to hear muffled voices coming from a nearby bathroom.</p><p>“What do you mean, you can’t do this?” Alex was saying.</p><p>“I can’t— It’s too much, Alex,” Kara said, her voice a muffled sob.</p><p>Lena froze for a moment, as her heart plummeted to the floor below. Kara didn’t want this, Kara— She shook her head. Kara was the one who proposed. Kara loved her, she wanted to spend their lives together.</p><p>Lena took a deep breath and rounded the corner into the bathroom. Alex was leaning against the wall beside a closed bathroom stall, and Lena could see Kara’s feet beneath the partitions.</p><p>“Kara?” she called softly.</p><p>“Lena?” Kara hiccoughed. “No! It’s bad luck if we see each other before the ceremony.”</p><p>“Then I’ll just stay out here and we won’t be able to see each other,” Lena replied, stepping closer. She nodded gratefully to Alex, who ducked out of the bathroom. “Sam said you had a panic attack.”</p><p>“Just a little one,” Kara replied.</p><p>“Kara, honey, there’s no such thing as a <em>little</em> panic attack,” Lena cajoled. She stepped closer to the door. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”</p><p>“No,” Kara pouted. Lena waited a long moment, and then Kara sighed. “If I open the door will you hold my hand? Promise not to peek!”</p><p>“Yes,” Lena replied. “And I promise.”</p><p>The bolt holding the stall door closed slid free, and it took all of Lena’s self-control to only slide her hand inside the small opening. Kara twined her fingers between Lena’s and sighed. She still didn’t speak for a long moment, but Lena knew better than to push when Kara was like this. Instead, she waited her out.</p><p>“I freaked out when I saw the chairs.”</p><p>Lena blinked with surprise. “What?”</p><p>“When I saw how many chairs there were,” Kara specified. “I mean… rationally I know how many people we invited, and I know how many RSVPs we received back. But I just didn’t realize how many people would actually be <em>watching</em> us. When you booked this place I knew it was huge, and I knew you would be inviting a lot of important people, and I didn’t want to leave anyone out, but I just—“</p><p>“I thought you wanted a big wedding?” Lena asked.</p><p>There was a beat of silence, then: “I thought you did.”</p><p>“W— What?” Lena stuttered. “What gave you that idea?”</p><p>“Well, you booked this place, hired a wedding planner, took care of everything,” Kara replied. “I just assumed it was sort of a <em>thing</em> for you. Maybe a society thing, I dunno.”</p><p>“Kara, you know I couldn’t care less about social standing.”</p><p>“Well, yeah, normally, but I thought… Why did you think <em>I</em> wanted a huge wedding?”</p><p>“Because you always watch those Disney movies where the princess gets married and lives happily ever after and I just…” Lena sighed. “I wanted to give you a fairytale.”</p><p>Kara sniffled. “You did all this for me?”</p><p>“Clearly it was all misplaced,” Lena scoffed.</p><p>“No, Lena, that’s incredibly sweet,” Kara assured her. “But, yeah, maybe a little misplaced.”</p><p>Lena sighed. “I should’ve asked you. I should’ve communicated better. I got swept up in all of the planning and making sure everything was perfect that I just—“</p><p>“I know,” Kara replied. “But I should’ve spoken up as well, long before today.”</p><p>Lena bit her lip as she thought. “We could elope, you know.”</p><p>“What?” Kara exclaimed.</p><p>“We could leave right now,” Lena continued. “Nobody has to know. We could be halfway to Vegas before anyone figures out that we’re gone. We could go get married with a fake Elvis as the only witness, if that’s what you want.”</p><p>Kara giggled. “You’re crazy.”</p><p>“I’m serious,” Lena told her. “If that makes you more comfortable, then that’s what we’ll do.”</p><p>“You’d do that for me?” Kara asked, her voice breathless.</p><p>“Kara, I’d do anything for you, you know that,” Lena replied. “Big wedding, small wedding, Vegas wedding, I just want you to be my wife. That’s all that matters to me.”</p><p>Kara was quiet for a long moment, and Lena began mentally calculating the best escape route from the gardens and the fastest route to the airport.</p><p>“Do you really think it’s bad luck to see each other before the wedding?” Kara asked.</p><p>“Honey, we have overcome every obstacle life has thrown at us thus far,” Lena said. “I don’t think a little bad luck is going to slow us down.”</p><p>Kara let go of her hand and stepped back from the door, allowing it to swing open fully. Lena’s eyes widened at the sight in front of her.</p><p>“My god, Kara, you look stunning!”</p><p>Kara’s cheeks flushed at the compliment, but it was true. Her hair was in loose curls down around her shoulders, her makeup was impeccably done to bring out her brilliant eyes, and her dress… Beaded lace came up to her collarbones, but the dress was sleeveless, showing off her muscular shoulders and arms. The lace dress fit her body like a glove, until it flared out into a tulle skirt just above the knee, with a beautiful train cascading behind her.</p><p>“You look beautiful, too, <em>wow</em>,” Kara replied breathlessly, her eyes raking over Lena’s form.</p><p>Lena stepped forward and took both of Kara’s hands in hers. “So… Vegas?”</p><p>Kara bit her lip. “I mean… How long would it take to get to Vegas?”</p><p>“Well, it’s a twenty-five minute drive to the airport, and it’ll probably take at least thirty minutes after that to book a flight and get checked in, and then the flight is about an hour and a half,” Lena replied.</p><p>“And then we have to find a venue,” Kara added. “There’s no telling how long that’ll take.”</p><p>“Right,” Lena grinned.</p><p>“But our wedding here is supposed to start in like an hour, right?” Kara asked.</p><p>“Mmhmm, give or take.”</p><p>Kara looked at Lena, then looked down. “I keep imagining that I trip over my own heels as I walk down the aisle.”</p><p>“You can take your shoes off,” Lena told her.</p><p>“Lena!”</p><p>“Nobody will notice!” Lena explained. “And if it makes you feel any better, I’ll go barefoot, too. That way you’ll still be taller than me.”</p><p>Kara grinned and squeezed Lena’s hands. “I really do wanna marry you, and the sooner the better. So I guess we’ll do it here instead of Vegas.” Her grin widened. “Plus I’m pretty sure Eliza would have a heart attack if we decided to elope.”</p><p>“Better be safe than sorry,” Lena said with a shrug. “And I have to admit, there is a little part of me that’s excited to stand up in front of everyone and declare how much I love you.”</p><p>“See, I knew you secretly wanted a big wedding!” Kara accused, but her tone was jovial.</p><p>“No, it’s not like that,” Lena chuckled, then turned serious. “I just… My mother…”</p><p>“I thought we weren’t going to bring her up today?”</p><p>“I can’t help it,” Lena sighed. “It’s just… because of her, I hid who I was, and who I loved, for so long. I denied part of myself, and I denied myself love and happiness with you. And now… Now I get to stand in front of a room full of people and let them know that I don’t care what they think, I’m marrying the woman that I love.”</p><p>Kara beamed at her. “I’m so proud of you.”</p><p>Lena laughed again. Kara pulled her hands until they were pressed together, then wrapped her in a hug.</p><p>“Hey, Lena?”</p><p>“Mmhmm?”</p><p>“Your mother was wrong,” Kara told her. “Those people out there? They’re not going to judge you for marrying a woman. They’re here because they’re happy for you.”</p><p>Lena looked up at her with a broad smile. “So I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting?”</p><p>Kara shook her head and stepped back a bit before taking Lena’s hand in hers. “I guess not.”</p><p>——</p><p>Lena wasn’t one to flaunt her wealth. She was aware of the privilege that her money gave her, the mostly-unearned power that came from being a Luthor and inheriting so much from Lionel. She enjoyed the finer things in life— who wouldn’t— but she sometimes felt that she didn’t appreciate them enough. Seeing things through Kara’s eyes, though, made her appreciate what she had exponentially more, and she vowed to use her position to shower her wife with luxury whenever she could.</p><p>
  <em>Her wife.</em>
</p><p>Kara looked around the private jet with wide eyes as they stepped inside, taking in the luxurious furnishings. Her wedding dress rustled against the carpet as she turned and took in every feature. Lena normally made a point to refrain from using L-Corp’s private jet for her own personal travel, but had made an exception for her honeymoon. Seeing Kara’s expression, she felt that she had made the right decision.</p><p>“Lena, this is… wow,” Kara muttered as Lena wrapped her arms around her midriff.</p><p>“I’m glad you like it,” Lena said, pressing a kiss to the bare skin of Kara’s back.</p><p>“Miss Luthor?”</p><p>Lena turned away from Kara to face the crew that had gathered just a few steps away.</p><p>“It’s actually Mrs. Luthor-Danvers now, Henry,” she said with a smile. “And I’d like you to meet my wife, Kara Luthor-Danvers.”</p><p>“The pleasure is mine,” the captain replied. “And congratulations to you both.”</p><p>“Kara, this is our captain, Henry Deveraux, First Officer Stephany Leighton, and our flight attendant, Nora Bates,” Lena told her, gesturing to each person in turn.</p><p>“Great to meet you,” Kara said, leaning into Lena’s side shyly.</p><p>“Are preparations complete?” Lena asked, slipping an arm back around Kara’s waist.</p><p>“Yes, ma’am,” Captain Deveraux replied. “We have the all clear. Weather is good from here to Boston, but we may hit some turbulence over Shannon.”</p><p>“Well, hopefully we can sleep through all of it,” Lena replied. “It was a long day— happy, but long— and I think we’ll turn in shortly after take-off.”</p><p>“Of course,” Captain Deveraux again. “Officer Leighton and I will get things underway. Expect takeoff in around ten minutes.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>Lena led Kara to two of the leather seats to face each other across a small polished table, with the flight attendant following close behind.</p><p>“Welcome aboard, Mrs. and Mrs. Luthor-Danvers,” Nora said as soon as they were seated. “My sincerest congratulations on your wedding. May I get you anything?”</p><p>“Champagne for now, please, Nora,” Lena told her. “And once we’re in the air, if you could prepare some of the food I brought with us, that would be wonderful.”</p><p>“Of course,” Nora replied, stepping away.</p><p>Kara looked at Lena with a raised brow. “You brought food?”</p><p>“Well, I know neither of us had much time to actually enjoy the meal we paid so much to have catered today, so I had two plates saved to bring aboard,” Lena told her wife.</p><p>“You did?” Kara squealed in excitement. “Oh my gosh, thank you! I’m starving!”</p><p>“Me, too,” Lena replied, then dropped her voice. “And not just for food.”</p><p>Kara’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink, but before she could retort, Nora had returned with the glasses of champagne.</p><p>“Thank you, Nora,” Lena said smoothly, her voice back to its polite timbre.</p><p>As the attendant retreated back toward the galley, Kara shook her head.</p><p>“I get the feeling that you’re trying to seduce me, wife.”</p><p>A giddy warmth spread through Lena’s chest at the title. “Well, it <em>is</em> our wedding night.”</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened and her voice lowered, “But we’re on a plane!”</p><p>“Yes, a private jet with its own private bedroom,” Lena replied with a salacious grin.</p><p>“But… There are other people on board. Won’t they be suspicious?”</p><p>“Kara, darling, it’s our wedding night,” Lena deadpanned. “They already know we’re not just going to be sleeping during the flight.”</p><p>Kara sipped her champagne thoughtfully. “I guess we can try to be quiet.”</p><p>Lena snorted, but said nothing. She knew Kara— biblically. Being quiet during sex wasn’t exactly something she was good at.</p><p>They fastened their seatbelts and sipped champagne as the plane taxied out onto the runway and then took off. Once they were in the air, Nora served their meal— braised salmon over a summer salad, followed by shoulder steak with Cabernet sauce, roasted potatoes, and a green bean salad.</p><p>“That was even better than the first time,” Kara groaned as Nora cleared their plates.</p><p>“Shall I get the cake as well?” Nora asked.</p><p>Kara’s eyes widened. “You got some of the wedding cake, too?”</p><p>“Of course,” Lena replied.</p><p>Kara groaned again. “I’m not sure I have anywhere to put it.”</p><p>“We can save that for later,” Lena told her.</p><p>“Of course,” Nora said in agreement before taking their plates to the galley.</p><p>“You really planned everything,” Kara said proudly.</p><p>“Well, I can’t take all the credit,” Lena replied. “Sam told me that she and Alex spent so much time at the reception talking to guests and dancing that she was starving by the time they left. Did you know they ended up getting McDonalds on the way to the airport?”</p><p>“No!” Kara exclaimed and laughed. “Well, this is certainly a lot tastier than McDonalds.”</p><p>Lena chuckled at that and leaned back in her seat. Kara leaned back as well, only to immediately sit forward again, lips twisting in discomfort.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Lena asked.</p><p>“Nothing,” Kara said quickly. “It’s just… I love this dress, but there’s this piece of boning in the bodice that keeps poking me when I try to slump. I guess that’s the entire purpose, but I’m getting tired of sitting up so straight.”</p><p>“Honey, you should’ve said something sooner,” Lena cooed.</p><p>“I didn’t want to bother you,” Kara sighed.</p><p>“Kara, I’ve been waiting for an excuse to get you out of that dress for almost six hours now,” Lena said, her voice low. “Nora, my wife and I are going to turn in now. We’re not to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency.”</p><p>“Of course, Mrs. Luthor-Danvers,” the attendant replied. “I’ll be sure to let the Captain know.”</p><p>Lena took Kara’s hand in her own and pulled the blonde from her seat and toward the back of the plane, down a short corridor, and through a small door at the end. This part of the plane was a bedroom, a cabin just large enough to hold a double bed that Lena knew from experience was quite comfortable.</p><p>“I sometimes use this room to relax or take a nap on long flights, or after long days spent dealing with irritating businessmen,” Lena told Kara as the door closed behind them. “But for us, I thought we might spend our wedding night at thirty-five thousand feet.”</p><p>“You mean my wife isn’t a member of the mile-high club?” Kara asked.</p><p>“Not yet,” Lena replied, raising a brow. It had the desired effect, if the straining muscles in Kara’s throat were any indication. “Now, as much as I love this dress, I believe it’s past time to get you out of it.”</p><p>She pulled Kara into a kiss as she ran her fingers over the beaded lace gown, around her wife’s narrow waist and then her hips. Kara held her close as well, but her own fingers were much gentler atop the elegant satin of Lena’s gown. Their kiss was soft, content, but there was a hunger just beneath the surface.</p><p>Lena pulled back and glanced down at Kara’s dress again. “Turn around.”</p><p>Kara did as she was asked, and reached up to pull her hair over her shoulder to give Lena better access to the back of the dress. This was, by far, Lena’s favorite part of the wedding gown. The back dipped low, almost to Kara’s ass, displaying her back and the sinuous muscles there. Lena leaned forward and pressed kisses along Kara’s shoulders, then up and down her spine, as her fingers ghosted down the sides.</p><p>“Lena,” Kara murmured breathily, as Lena’s hands finally found the laces at the bottom of the dress. She untied them and loosened the crisscrossed silk until the dress fell looser, and then she reached up and pushed the shoulder straps off and down Kara’s arms.</p><p>The dress fell to the floor in a heap, leaving Kara in nothing but a pair of lacy white panties. Lena pressed her front, still completely clothed in her own dress, against Kara’s bare skin and reached around her to run her fingers up the ladder of her abdominal muscles, up until she could cup Kara’s breasts.</p><p>“Mmm,” Kara hummed as Lena squeezed gently. She gently mouthed at Kara’s shoulder as her thumbs circled over the pebbled pink tips until they hardened and Kara’s breath came in short pants.</p><p>“You are so beautiful,” Lena murmured into Kara’s ear. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”</p><p>“All yours,” Kara replied, turning in her arms. “And you’re mine as well.”</p><p>“Yes,” Lena agreed.</p><p>“Let me take your dress off?” Kara asked, stepping back slightly.</p><p>Lena turned, but Kara’s hands didn’t go to the buttons on her dress. Instead, they first went to her hair, searching out every pin and clip until it fell in a dark cascade down Lena’s back.</p><p>Kara sighed. “I love your hair. It’s so sleek and shiny.”</p><p>“It’s full of hairspray,” Lena muttered.</p><p>Kara huffed and then ran her fingers through the strands, combing out any sticky residual hairspray.</p><p>“There, now it’s perfect,” she declared, and Lena couldn’t help but smile.</p><p>Kara gently moved Lena’s hair over her shoulder and then went to work unfastening the buttons that held the dress closed. With each looped button, the satin felt looser and looser, but Kara’s hands became more and more impatient. About halfway down, she huffed in frustration.</p><p>“Kara, please don’t rip my dress,” Lena teased.</p><p>“It would serve you right, after all the buttons you’ve popped off of my blouses,” Kara muttered. Finally the last button came loose. “Aha! There!”</p><p>Lena grinned and dropped the dress, revealing her own surprise: a white lace strapless bustier. As she turned, Kara’s eyes widened in awe.</p><p>“Oh, wow,” Kara muttered, eyes fixated on Lena’s cleavage. “Wow.”</p><p>“Don’t drool on the upholstery, darling,” Lena teased.</p><p>Kara only hummed in agreement before pulling Lena back into her arms. Their lips met in a flurry of tongue and teeth, only to soften the kiss as they moved toward the bed. Lena wasn’t sure if it was her pushing or Kara pulling, but eventually Kara paused as her legs hit the side of the mattress.</p><p>Kara lay down first, and Lena clambered over her quickly, unwilling to release her from the kiss for very long. As they kissed, their hands explored every inch of skin and lace, almost like they were touching each other for the first time.</p><p>“Hmph,” Kara grunted as Lena’s body rubbed against hers. She pulled her head back and looked between them. “As much as I love this, I want to feel you. Can we take it off?”</p><p>Lena nodded and sat up atop Kara. She reached behind her for the hooks, but struggled for a moment.</p><p>Kara giggled and sat up as well. “Here, let me help.”</p><p>Lena sighed and turned around. Kara reached for the hooks.</p><p>“It’s like unwrapping a Christmas present, except a lot more difficult and a lot more rewarding,” the blonde murmured, making Lena laugh.</p><p>“You’re such a dork.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m your dork now,” Kara reminded her. “You’re stuck with me.”</p><p>“Good,” Lena replied once she was free of the bustier. She tossed it to the floor amongst the heaps of satin and lace before turning back to Kara. “I wanna be stuck with you forever and ever and…”</p><p>Kara pulled her down into another kiss and Lena went willingly into her embrace. Kara’s hands skimmed up Lena’s sides, tracing the faint lines that remained on her skin from the seams of the bustier, and up to her breasts.</p><p>“You chose that dress on purpose,” Kara murmured against Lena’s lips as she squeezed the soft globes of her breasts. “You know I love your boobs.”</p><p>“Of course I did,” Lena replied, but any intended smugness was replaced by breathlessness as Kara rolled them until she was on top. She lowered her head and sucked hard at the skin between Lena’s breasts, until she was sure to leave a mark, and then moved her lips to suck first one stiff nipple and then the other into her mouth.</p><p>Lena’s hips bucked up against Kara’s. She could feel the silk of her underwear beginning to stick to her, and when Kara slotted their thighs together and ground down against Lena, she could feel Kara’s wetness through her lace panties against her thigh. They continued to grind against each other, as Kara kissed her way from Lena’s chest, up the side of her neck, back to her lips.</p><p>Finally Lena had to pull away, and her breath was ragged. “Kara…”</p><p>Her next words were cut off by a loud knock on the door. She and Kara both froze against one another, staring wide-eyed at each other. Lena thought they looked more like two teenagers caught making out in one of their parents’ beds than two grown women on their wedding night.</p><p>“Mrs. Luthor-Danvers? Lena?” Nora called, her voice clearly anxious. “I’m so sorry, I know you said not to call unless there was an emergency, but there’s been a small issue with the flight plan. Captain Deveraux would like to speak with you to make alternate arrangements.”</p><p>Lena bit down a groan. “Can it wait until morning?”</p><p>She already knew the answer. “I’m afraid not, ma’am.”</p><p>Lena did groan then. She pressed another kiss to Kara’s lips before pushing herself away from her tempting wife. She opened the door that led to the private bathroom and found two silk robes hanging there.</p><p>“I’ll be right back, my love,” she told Kara as she pulled one of the robes over her near-naked body. She bent over and gave her wife another kiss. “Get comfortable and don’t start without me.”</p><p>Kara giggled. “Hurry back.”</p><p>Lena intended to. She scowled at Nora as she passed, even though rationally she knew that it wasn’t the attendant’s fault. The young woman’s cheeks flushed when she saw Lena’s robe, and she looked properly chagrined as Lena hurried to the cockpit.</p><p>There was an issue with their refueling location. A storm system would be hovering over Boston when they were scheduled to refuel, making it impossible to land for several hours. Captain Deveraux would have to reroute the plane to New York City instead and wanted to be sure that was alright with Lena.</p><p>Lena had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. “Of course that’s alright, Captain. And in the future, please trust your own judgement on such matters instead of interrupting a woman on her wedding night, if you please.”</p><p>The captain’s ears turned scandalized red, and one glance at the first officer told Lena that the woman had likely advised the captain of the very same thing herself. Instead of further chastising the man, she hurried back to the cabin and to her wife.</p><p>The return walk to the cabin was short, but it was long enough for Lena’s imagination to run wild. She thought she might find Kara sprawled naked on the bed, waiting for her. Kara’s body was a sight she never tired of seeing, the perfect blend of defined musculature and soft curves. Even after fifty, sixty, one hundred years together, even when the muscles and curves faded, Lena was certain that she would want her wife, that she would love every bit of her for as long as she lived, and she couldn’t wait to show Kara once again exactly how much she loved her.</p><p>When she slipped back inside the bedroom, Kara was sprawled out naked, head on the pillow, covers thrown down to the bottom of the bed. But rather than waiting for Lena, her head was thrown back on the pillow, mouth open wide, eyes closed tight with sleep. She was even snoring faintly, something she only ever did when she was truly exhausted.</p><p>Lena’s heart melted. As much as she desperately wanted to make love to her wife on their wedding night, she could tell that Kara was absolutely worn out. If she was being honest, she was just as tired, and had been fighting it for hours. So, instead of waking Kara to continue what they had started before she was called away, Lena shucked off her robe and panties and crawled into bed naked beside her. She pulled the covers up over them, and then tucked her body comfortably against Kara’s side.</p><p>“Mmm, Lee…” Kara muttered sleepily, snuggling even closer. “<em>Luff ew</em>.”</p><p>Lena smiled and pressed a kiss against her wife’s forehead. “I love you, too, Kara. Sweet dreams.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. August 14, 2018</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you seriously not going to tell me where we’re going?”</p>
<p>The grin that spread across Kara’s face answered Lena’s question before she ever spoke.</p>
<p>“It’s a surprise,” the blonde replied as she pulled the car off the highway north of National City.</p>
<p>Lena sighed grumpily. “After the last week, I’m pretty tired of surprises.”</p>
<p>Kara reached across the console and twined their fingers together atop Lena’s knee. “It’s going to be okay. It has to be.”</p>
<p>Lena squeezed Kara’s hand. “Always so optimistic.”</p>
<p>“Hey, one of us has to do it,” Kara replied, but Lena could see that her wife’s forehead was also wrinkled in worry. She traced the veins in the back of Kara’s hand as they drove, and gradually the crinkle between her brows disappeared. “How about we give it a rest for tonight? No talking about super serious life decisions until morning, agreed?”</p>
<p>“Agreed,” Lena said with a nod, but she wasn’t sure she could keep that promise.</p>
<p>Lena turned her attention back to their drive and her frustration quickly changed to confusion as Kara drove them into the coastal area of the city’s suburbs. This area was mostly made up of vacation homes and rentals, and Lena couldn’t imagine what on earth they were doing there.</p>
<p>“Seriously, Kara, where are we going?” Lena asked, looking around at the houses surrounding them. Monday night dates weren’t a common thing for them, but she had made an exception because of all the insanity currently in their lives. But when Kara had insisted on driving and headed out of town, she had been extremely confused, and was still confused half an hour later.</p>
<p>“You’ll see,” Kara assured her yet again.The blonde was squinting as they passed road signs, looking for a particular one. Finally her eyes widened and she turned. “Okay, we’re almost there. Close your eyes.”</p>
<p>“Kara!”</p>
<p>“Please, Lena?” Kara pouted, and even from a side angle it was lethal.</p>
<p>“No fair,” Lena huffed, closing her eyes.</p>
<p>“You know you love me.”</p>
<p>“You’re so lucky that I do.”</p>
<p>“Most definitely, luckiest woman in the world right here, to be married to you,” Kara said brightly. Lena felt the car turn once more and then it slowed to a stop. Kara untangled their hands so she could put the car in park, then unfastened her seatbelt. “Okay, just keep them closed for a few more seconds. No peeking.”</p>
<p>Lena sighed impatiently but did as she was told. She kept her eyes closed as Kara got out of the car, and when she came around to the passenger’s side and opened the door. She kept then closed as Kara reached across her and unfastened her seatbelt for her, and then turned her body and helped her out of the car.</p>
<p>“Can I look yet?” Lena asked as Kara held to her shoulders and led her a few steps from the car, down a sidewalk.</p>
<p>“Okay…” Kara said dramatically. “Now!”</p>
<p>Lena opened her eyes and blinked against the bright light of the descending sun, then squinted to make out exactly what she was supposed to be looking at. Then, as her eyes finally focused, she gasped.</p>
<p>“Is this—?”</p>
<p>“Yep,” Kara replied cheekily.</p>
<p>“How did you—?”</p>
<p>“I had a memory pop up on my social media from eight years ago a few weeks ago, of Winn and I playing at a little cafe near the university,” Kara explained. “And then I remembered that that happened a few weeks before the party where I met you. And then I did some digging, as one does—“</p>
<p>“Of course, you ace reporter.”</p>
<p>“And I found the address, found out that it was a rental, called the agent and explained that I met my wife at this house and really wanted to surprise her with a date night here, so they made an exception to their policy for only week-long rentals,” Kara continued. “So here we are, with one night in the same house where we met exactly nine years ago tonight.”</p>
<p>Lena grinned salaciously. “And whatever are we going to do with an entire night?”</p>
<p>Kara smirked. “Well, I do have food waiting inside. And… maybe a few other things.”</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Lena hummed contentedly, leaning against Kara’s side. “Then lead the way.”</p>
<p>Lena’s memories of that night nine years before were a bit foggy, worn dull around the edges by time and the amount of alcohol she had consumed that night. But as she entered the house, she was shocked to find exactly how much she did remember, and how much was unchanged.</p>
<p>Kara led her into the large kitchen where, rather than bags of chips and containers of alcohol, several take-out containers and two bottles of wine were waiting on the counter. Kara made sure she was perched on one of the stools at the island before she went to work.</p>
<p>“I got your favorites from The Square,” she explained as she began plating the food.</p>
<p>“Even the salad?” Lena asked as Kara opened another container.</p>
<p>Kara sighed balefully. “Even your favorite roast beet salad, you weirdo.”</p>
<p>“I’m <em>your</em> weirdo,” Lena reminded her.</p>
<p>“Yep, that you are,” Kara said with a grin.</p>
<p>“And you secretly like the roasted beets.”</p>
<p>Kara rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far…”</p>
<p>“Then why do you always steal some off my plate?” Lena challenged.</p>
<p>Kara grumbled as she plated the salads on two small plates, then moved on to plating pork medallions, sweet potatoes, and asparagus. By the time the plates were finished, Lena’s mouth was watering and she had to fight the urge to make grabby hands toward the food.</p>
<p>“I thought we could eat on the deck,” Kara recommended, and Lena agreed quickly.</p>
<p>A small dining area was set on the deck outside, and they made their way outside. They ate dinner and drank wine as an ocean breeze and the setting sun cooled the air around them and pulled Kara’s hair free of her neat chignon. When they finally finished their meal, Lena reached around the table and pulled the pins from the blonde locks, unleashing a cascade of curls around her fiancé’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“Better,” Lena murmured. The red wine had settled heavy in her belly, and her mind was already straying toward whatever those <em>few other things</em> Kara had referred to earlier. Kara could clearly see her thoughts on her face, because she grinned up at Lena.</p>
<p>“I have another surprise,” she said. “Stay right here.”</p>
<p>Lena stayed on the deck as Kara cleared the table and took their dirty dishes inside. She shifted anxiously from one foot to the other, but she certainly wasn’t prepared when Kara emerged from the house, and she burst into laughter.</p>
<p>Kara was holding a bag with marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers in one hand, two long skewers in the other, and draped over her arm was a familiar, well-worn plaid.</p>
<p>“If you would do me the honor?” Kara asked as she put the grocery bag down and leaned the skewers against the edge of the table. Lena giggled as she nodded, and Kara helped her into the shirt. “There you go.”</p>
<p>“I think it might look worse with this outfit than it did that first night,” Lena commented, looking down and holding the plaid against her snakeskin-print dress.</p>
<p>“Nah, you looked beautiful then, and you look beautiful now,” Kara assured her, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “Now: s’mores!”</p>
<p>They kicked off their shoes on the deck and made their way down to the beach. Kara quickly started a small fire in the fire pit and they sat on a bench as it grew. Once the flames were high enough, Kara speared two marshmallows onto the skewers.</p>
<p>“Do you remember how it’s done?” she asked.</p>
<p>“I’ll have you know, I am a s’more expert,” Lena grinned, snatching her skewer from Kara’s hands.</p>
<p>“You must’ve had a good teacher,” Kara teased.</p>
<p>“Oh, the very best,” Lena replied. “She taught me some other things, as well. Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll show you later.”</p>
<p>Kara’s cheeks flushed and she sputtered. Lena laughed and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before turning back to the fire. They toasted their marshmallows over the coals and cuddled closer together as the sun set below the water’s surface, casting the evening in rich shades of orange and red and violet. Finally darkness settled, and Lena rested her head on Kara’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“You know, I only came to that party because some frat boys almost hit Andrea with a volleyball.”</p>
<p>Kara snorted. “Well, thank goodness for frat boys.”</p>
<p>Lena giggled. “Not exactly something you hear everyday.”</p>
<p>“I was only there because Winn invited me,” Kara said with a shrug.</p>
<p>“I remember, he told absolutely everyone at the wedding that it wouldn’t have happened without him,” Lena replied.</p>
<p>Kara looked down at her intently. “Do you think that’s true?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Do you think we never would’ve met if it weren’t for Winn and some frat boys?”</p>
<p>Lena thought for a moment. “Well, I can’t imagine any way we would’ve met otherwise.”</p>
<p>Kara frowned. “I dunno. I like to think we would’ve met eventually. It feels pretty inevitable, you and me. Like we’re meant to be together, no matter what.”</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Lena hummed in agreement. “I like that idea. Maybe if the multiverse theory is true, you and I are together in all of the universes.”</p>
<p>“Definitely,” Kara agreed.</p>
<p>Lena couldn’t keep her hands to herself anymore. She turned awkwardly on the bench until she was facing Kara, and reached up for her hair. Kara came willingly, angling her body until she could wrap her arms around Lena’s waist and—</p>
<p>Lena yelped as Kara picked her up and pulled her bodily across her lap, until Lena was straddling her. Her shout of surprise turned to giggles and then to moans as Kara’s hands found the bottom of her skirt, which had scrunched almost halfway up her thighs, and one delved underneath.</p>
<p>“Should— Should we go back to the house?” Lena husked against Kara’s lips as her fingers found the edge of Lena’s underwear.</p>
<p>“Why?” Kara asked. “This beach is private, and there’s no one around.” Her voice lowered to a gruff alto. “And besides, I’ve wanted to take you on this beach for nine years.”</p>
<p>The arousal that had been simmering beneath Lena’s skin flared to a boiling point as Kara crashed their lips together and her seeking fingers pressed against Lena’s core through her panties. Lena’s hips bucked and she moaned into the kiss as Kara gently stroked up and down her flesh, making the fabric cling to the wetness underneath. Then Kara moved to just barely feather touches over Lena’s clit through the fabric and Lena groaned in frustration as she pulled her lips free.</p>
<p>“Kara!” she groaned, hips bucking into the questing digit to no avail.</p>
<p>“I thought you wanted to go inside?” Kara asked, making to pull her hand away.</p>
<p>Lena’s hand dropped from where it was clinging to her wife’s shoulder down to grab her forearm, keeping it in place beneath her skirt.</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare,” she hissed, holding Kara’s hand still as her hips undulated, until the pads of Kara’s fingers were stroking over her swollen clit through her silk panties. The fabric was ruined, without a doubt, but she couldn’t find it in her to care.</p>
<p>Kara kissed Lena’s cheek and then nipped at the side of her neck. “Tell me what you want, babe.”</p>
<p>“I want you to fuck me,” she keened.</p>
<p>“Right here?” Kara asked.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Lena replied desperately. “Yes, right here. Please…”</p>
<p>Kara sucked hard at the freckle on the side of Lena’s neck as she pushed aside Lena’s panties and delved deep into her wet center. She circled Lena’s clit over and over again, each motion driving Lena higher and higher. Then, when Lena’s hips were bucking wildly of their own volition, she pressed three fingers into Lena’s core.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck!” Lena shouted, pausing as her body adjusted to the stretch. Her hands were back on Kara’s shoulders and she squeezed until she was fairly certain her short nails left imprints even though the button-up blouse Kara was wearing. After several moments, however, she relaxed and Kara’s hand began moving slowly back and forth inside her, fingers curled to perfectly hit Lena’s g-spot inside her, and her palm dragging over her clit with each pass.</p>
<p>“That’s it, baby,” Kara praised her breathlessly. “Take it… Ride me… God, you look so gorgeous right now.”</p>
<p>Lena’s hips flexed to meet every thrust, chasing the peak that she could feel approaching. Kara’s words became a low rumble in the back of her mind, behind the rushing of her own pulse through her ears and the overwhelming roar of the ocean waves crashing in the background. She mouthed at Kara’s neck, sucking against the skin there, as she chased her peak. Her motions became smaller as her muscles began to tighten, and then Kara shifted her hand slightly so that the base of her palm hit Lena’s clit with even more precision…</p>
<p>Stars burst behind Lena’s eyes, and she bit down on the corded muscles of Kara’s neck with enough force that she knew it would leave a mark— fair play since she could already feel the bruise of a hickey on her own neck. She clung to Kara for long minutes as pleasure poured over her body, and then even longer as she went limp and aftershocks made her quiver.</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Lena hummed as Kara pulled her hand free and moved her underwear back into place. “That was incredible.”</p>
<p>“Yes, it was,” Kara agreed, kissing her soundly. Lena sighed when she finally broke the kiss and fell into Kara’s strong form. Her wife just chuckled. “Can you walk?”</p>
<p>“Maybe in a minute,” Lena replied.</p>
<p>Kara moved Lena off of her lap and onto the bench while she collected their supplies and carefully put out the bonfire. Then she pulled Lena up onto her feet and held her tight against her side as they made their way back up the access ramp into the house. They left the food in the kitchen and made their way upstairs and down a hallway.</p>
<p>“Do you remember which one it was?”</p>
<p>Lena bit her lip and searched her memory as she walked forward, finally settling on one of the doors toward the back of the house. When Kara turned on the bedside lamp, memories came flooding back. The room was almost exactly the same— same paint color, same carpet, same furniture. The duvet had been updated, as had the curtains, but other than that it was exactly as she remembered it.</p>
<p>Kara turned back to her with a grin. “Good memory— Oof!”</p>
<p>Kara grunted as Lena shoved her back onto the edge of the bed. Her senses had recovered from her orgasm on the beach, and now she had every intention of repaying her wife. She pulled Kara’s legs up, one after the other, and nudged her shoes into the floor, before trailing her hands up over the army-green chinos she was wearing and to her belt. She unfastened the buckle, then made quick work of the buttons and zipper beneath. Kara held her weight on her arms as Lena pulled her trousers and underwear off in one motion, tossing them aside before kneeling in front of her wife and spreading her knees.</p>
<p>“Scoot closer,” Lena ordered, and Kara complied, breath already coming in short pants with anticipation.</p>
<p>Kara’s pussy was swollen and shiny with arousal, so Lena knew it wouldn’t take much to bring her wife to the brink. Rather than teasing, she dove forward with gusto, licking firmly between the folds, and dragging her tongue upward to Kara’s clit. A startled cry tore from Kara’s throat, and her hands immediately fisted in Lena’s hair, loosening her immaculately-styled chignon and pulling at the roots.</p>
<p>“Fuck, Lena, that feels so good,” Kara moaned as Lena focused her attention on her clit. Her hips lurched off the bed, seeking a firmer pressure, but she held herself back. Lena could feel the restraint in Kara’s thighs on either side of her head, and she pulled away, much to Kara’s frustration.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, love,” she coaxed, squeezing Kara’s hips in reassurance. “Take what you need from me, you won’t hurt me.”</p>
<p>With that Lena moved back into position. She pulled one of Kara’s legs over her shoulder, opening her further to her touch, and ducked her head. She flattened her tongue against Kara’s clit, curling the tip just so for more pressure, and fit her chin directly against Kara’s opening for more pressure.</p>
<p>“Le— <em>Lena!</em>” Kara huffed as her hips began to move. Her hands dug into Lena’s hair, pressing her tighter against her as she ground against her face, chasing her pleasure. Lena felt Kara flutter against her chin, and a moment later her entire body stiffened. Kara held Lena in place as her body went from frozen to trembling, and liquid gushed onto Lena’s face. Lena gently coaxed her through the aftershocks, and finally Kara released her hold on Lena’s hair and fell back onto the bed.</p>
<p>“<em>Fuck!</em>” Kara exclaimed breathily when her back hit the mattress. She looked down at Lena, eyes wide with adoration. “Babe, your dress!”</p>
<p>Lena looked down at the high neckline of her dress which, much like her chin, was damp with Kara’s cum. She sighed and looked at her wife with a raised brow.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m never going to be able to look the dry cleaner in the eyes again after this, that’s for sure.”</p>
<p>Kara let out a barking laugh, then another, and then collapsed into a fit of giggles. Lena shook her head at her wife’s silliness, and sat on the edge of the bed beside her.</p>
<p>“Unzip me?” she asked.</p>
<p>“With pleasure,” Kara replied, reaching up to pull the zipper down Lena’s back.</p>
<p>Lena stood and wiggled out of her dress. As she pushed down her underwear, she realized that Kara was simply lying there, still completely dressed from the waist up.</p>
<p>“Shirt off, darling,” Lena instructed as she stood up completely naked and reached for her hair. “Unless that was enough for you tonight?”</p>
<p>Kara moved so quickly that Lena couldn’t help but laugh at her. She was still chuckling as she moved to get into bed with Kara.</p>
<p>“Wait!” Kara exclaimed, one arm still stuck in her sleeve. Lena froze and raised a brow in question. Kara blushed. “There’s a duffle bag over there, can you get it?”</p>
<p>Lena turned to where Kara was pointing and found a small, familiar black duffle bag at the bottom of the nightstand. She picked it up and sat it on the edge of the bed as Kara finished undressing.</p>
<p>“I guess I’m a sure thing at this point, huh?” Lena asked as she unzipped the bag. “Let’s see what we have here…”</p>
<p>Lena wasn’t sure if Kara planned on using all of the things she had packed or if she had just brought a variety to make sure she had whatever they wanted, but she had brought an impressive portion of their healthy collection of sex toys from home. Lena dug through the leather straps of one harness and another fabric brief-style harness, pushed aside a few dildos of various lengths, widths, and colors, and then came out with a wand-style vibrator.</p>
<p>“Really?” Kara said, surprised, as Lena dropped the rest of the bag to the floor.</p>
<p>“What?” Lena asked.</p>
<p>“Nothing,” Kara shrugged as she scooted toward the pillows. “I just thought you’d go for the strap.”</p>
<p>“Disappointed?” Lena asked as she positioned herself atop her wife, setting the vibrator to the side for a moment as she twined their legs together.</p>
<p>“With you? Never,” Kara replied, arching up toward her.</p>
<p>Lena grinned. “That’s what I thought.”</p>
<p>She kissed Kara deeply, letting her weight fall onto her wife’s body. She loved the feeling of Kara’s skin against hers, so soft and supple, all soft curves and lithe muscle, alive with every movement. Their chests crashed together, breasts dragging against each other, sending shivers of sensation through each of them. Below her, Kara gasped at the sensation.</p>
<p>Lena pulled back slightly and reached for the vibrator beside them. She turned it on to its lowest setting and ran it over Kara’s stomach, watching as her abs flexed in response. The motion made her hips grind against Lena’s, which drew a moan from both of them. Lena moved the vibrator up, across Kara’s chest in an infinity symbol, making the loops smaller and smaller until she reached Kara’s nipples. She held the wand against one tip until Kara’s back arched, then lowered her head and sucked it into her mouth as she moved the vibrator to the opposite side.</p>
<p>“Oh, <em>fuck</em>, Lena!” Kara gasped, hips bucking wildly.</p>
<p>“Too much?” Lena asked as she raised her head and released Kara’s breast from her mouth with a pop.</p>
<p>“No!” Kara exclaimed. “It feels incredible.”</p>
<p>“Good,” Lena replied, switching sides and lowering her head to the other breast. Once she felt like she had teased Kara enough, she sat up slightly and moved the vibrator over her own chest, cupping her other breast with her free hand. The sensations were amazing, but they were nothing compared to the way Kara’s eyes dilated almost black as she watched her.</p>
<p>Lena shifted until she and Kara were interlaced and started rocking. It took a moment, but then Kara arched her back and their clits began rubbing together.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck!” Lena husked out, moving faster. Kara shuddered beneath her and reached up to grab Lena’s thighs. She didn’t try to control Lena’s movements, just held on with a bruising grip as the sensations began to overwhelm her as well.</p>
<p>Lena turned the vibrator to a higher, pulsing setting, and placed it against Kara’s stomach. She stared into her wife’s eyes as she dragged it down lower and lower until finally she slid it between them.</p>
<p>“<em>Oh God!</em>” Lena shouted, as Kara moaned, “<em>Fuck!</em>”</p>
<p>Lena lowered her body slightly and pushed her hips down harder to clamp the vibrator even tighter between them. Her hips bucked and she moaned with every movement.</p>
<p>“Gonna come,” Kara gasped beneath her. Her entire body trembled with sensation. “So close, Lena, come with me. <em>Please…</em>”</p>
<p>“<em>Yes!</em>” Lena shouted as her body began to tighten. “Almost… almost… <em>Fuck!</em>”</p>
<p>Stars exploded behind Lena’s eyes as she came, bucking and writhing against Kara and the vibrator as the sensation became too much. Beneath her, Kara’s entire body went taut, her nails dug into Lena’s thighs, and she gasped as she came just as hard. Finally, Lena pulled the vibrator away and pressed the power button before tossing it aside and slumping into Kara’s body beneath her.</p>
<p>“That… That was amazing,” Kara panted.</p>
<p>“Mmhmm,” Lena hummed, unable to form any other coherent statements.</p>
<p>After a few minutes, they managed to extricate themselves from one another. Kara washed the vibrator while Lena used the bathroom, and then Kara used it as well before they headed back to bed. They curled up naked beneath the covers together, and turned off the lights. Lena listened to the sound of Kara’s deep, even breathing, and the ocean waves outside, but still, sleep didn’t come. She glanced at the clock: twelve twenty-three.</p>
<p>“Kara?” she whispered.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“It’s after midnight. Does that mean it’s technically morning?”</p>
<p>Her question was met with a long moment of silence. Then Kara shifted in the bed and turned on the bedside light. She fluffed up her pillows until she could sit up comfortably, and pulled her covers up to her neck. Lena bit her lip as she waited.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Kara said. “Let’s talk.”</p>
<p>Lena released her lip from between her teeth and sighed. Instead of sitting up, she turned onto her stomach and arched up onto her elbows. She stared at the shadows on the wall and listened to the waves outside and the sound of her own heartbeat for a long moment, then looked back at her wife.</p>
<p>“I want to do it,” she said, her tone more resolute and confident than she felt.</p>
<p>Kara smiled softly. “I knew you would.”</p>
<p>“H— How did you know?” Lena demanded.</p>
<p>“Because I know <em>you</em>,” Kara said simply. “And I know that you’re not about to let this little boy go into foster care when we can give him a family.”</p>
<p>Lena had to admit, Kara was right. The call from Massachusetts social services had come on Thursday, and it had been the biggest surprise of Lena’s life. Apparently her mother— her <em>biological</em> mother— had a sister, and that sister had a daughter, and that daughter had a little boy. But Lena’s aunt died three years ago of cancer, and Lena’s first cousin had died just a week ago in a car accident. This left her son, Lena’s first cousin once removed, an orphan. There was no father listed on the birth certificate, and no other living relatives. It had actually taken a very determined social worker to find and get in touch with Lena.</p>
<p>The little boy was three, even younger than Lena had been when her mother died. The social worker had called Lena, explained the situation, and emailed a picture. The image was ingrained in Lenas memory— dark hair, pale skin, hazel eyes. Her heart had made its decision almost immediately, but her brain needed convincing.</p>
<p>“It’s not exactly what we had planned,” Lena muttered.</p>
<p>They had talked about children. They had talked about adopting, and had researched the process. They had talked about IVF, and had even borrowed the pamphlets from Sam and Alex. They had spent hours going round and round, but in the end they had decided on reciprocal IVF, because they each wanted to carry the other’s baby, and then maybe, in a few years, they would look at adoption.</p>
<p>“When has our life ever gone according to plan?” Kara asked. “Besides, we did decide that we were open to adopting, we just thought it would happen in a different order.”</p>
<p>“You really think we can do this?”</p>
<p>“Lena,” Kara said gently, taking Lena’s hand in hers, “as long as you and I are together, we can do anything.”</p>
<p>Lena took a deep breath and let it out. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Kara replied.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Lena nodded, then stopped. “You want him too, right?”</p>
<p>“Of course!” Kara exclaimed. “Golly, Lena, I think I was ready to call them back the same day you told me.”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Kara sighed. “I’ve always wanted to adopt. I think back to when the Danvers adopted me… I was older, you know, and a lot of kids who are orphaned at that age don’t get as lucky as I did. And I was only lucky because Jeremiah worked with my father. But even so, they didn’t have to take me in. But they did. They opened their home and their hearts to me and made me a Danvers. I could never repay them for that. But the idea that I could do that for a child…” Kara sniffled and reached up to wipe an escaping tear. “Yeah, I really want that.”</p>
<p>“And the IVF?” Lena asked.</p>
<p>“Don’t get me wrong, part of me definitely wants that, too,” Kara replied. “There’s something primal about wanting the woman I love to carry my baby, and vice versa. But, well, I’ve said it before, I want <em>everything</em> with you.”</p>
<p>Lena stared at Kara, then chuckled. “I guess it’s fortunate for us that I have enough money to make all that happen.”</p>
<p>“Hey, I’m not usually one to depend on your wealth, but in this case I’ll make an exception,” Kara said with a shrug.</p>
<p>Lena chuckled again. “God, I love you so much.”</p>
<p>“I love you, too,” Kara replied, sinking down in the bed and pulling Lena into her arms. “<em>So</em>, so much.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Epilogue: August 31, 2019</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on, it’ll be fun!”</p><p>“For the last time, I am not going to a dance club with you,” Lena sighed.</p><p>“Ugh, is this what it’s like to be old and married?” Andrea huffed. “Is this what I have to look forward to?”</p><p>“You’re gonna love it,” Sam told her, patting Andrea on the shoulder. “Just maybe wait a little while to have kids.”</p><p>Lena glanced away from her friends at the mention of kids. Out in the ocean, she could see Russell and Alex, along with their friends Brainy and Nia, bobbing around on surfboards. Closer, on the shore, Kara and Winn were teaching Ruby and Colin the finer points of sandcastle construction and demolition.</p><p>“Mama! Mama watch!” Colin shouted, looking at her. “Imma dragon! Roar!”</p><p>The little boy roared loudly, and Ruby joined in as they stomped through the towers and walls that they had just constructed. Once the sand was all in unrecognizable heaps, Ruby stood back and clapped her hands gleefully.</p><p>“Again! Again!” she chanted.</p><p>“I think maybe we should take a little break for sunscreen and snacks first,” Kara said sagely. “Let’s go rinse the sand off our hands.”</p><p>Colin reached for Kara’s hand, then stretched the other one toward Ruby. “C’mon, Rubes, le’s go!”</p><p>The normally stubborn Ruby followed the slightly-older boy’s lead without hesitation. Lena watched as Kara led them down to the edge of the water. They splashed in the waves for several long minutes before finally rinsing the sand from their hands and arms.</p><p>Colin had been with them for a year now, and Lena was constantly amazed at his resilience.  He was a remarkably easy child, quiet but friendly, playful and loving. They still had regular therapy visits, to help him process the grief over losing his mother, and his feelings about the adoption. About four months after he came to live with them, he had decided to call her and Kara <em>Mama</em> and <em>Mom,</em> respectively, and they had both been over the moon about that. He loved his extended family, his Nana Eliza, his Aunts Sam and Alex, and his multiple Nants and Nuncles (not-really-aunts and not-really-uncles). And he absolutely adored his cousin Ruby. It was the support system that had helped him transition the most, and every single day Lena was more and more certain that they had made the right choice.</p><p>He was meant to be their son.</p><p>“Mama!” Colin exclaimed as he flopped bodily into her. He wasn’t Kara’s by blood, but he had certainly picked up her mannerisms over the past year. He looked up at Lena with bright hazel eyes, green around the iris and blue near the edges, and smiled his lopsided-grin as his dark hair flopped back from his face, and Lena felt her heart melt.</p><p>“Did you have fun with Mom?” Lena asked.</p><p>“Yeah, Imma dragon!” Colin declared. His belly growled audibly and he immediately sobered. “Can I have a snack, Mama?”</p><p>“Of course, baby,” Lena replied, reaching for the cooler they had packed.</p><p>Colin frowned. “Mama! I’m not a baby!”</p><p>It was a frequent complaint, but Lena couldn’t help herself. “Well, you’re my baby. Even though you didn’t come to us as a baby, you’re still my baby.”</p><p>“You might have to change that in a few months,” Kara whispered as she sat close behind Lena.</p><p>“Shh!” Lena hissed, shoving her wife. “We’re not telling yet!”</p><p>Lena couldn’t help how her hand went to her lower stomach at the mention, and she looked around to make sure no one had overheard her wife. Sam was busy prepping Ruby’s sippy-cup, and Andrea was helping the little girl arrange her pretzels and Goldfish crackers on the blanket in front of her.</p><p>It was early, still, only seven weeks since Lena had undergone the implantation procedure. Their friends and family knew that they had gone to the fertility clinic for info, but they didn’t know that they had moved forward with the procedures for reciprocal IVF. They didn’t know that they had harvested eggs from Kara, used an anonymous donor’s sperm, and implanted an embryo into Lena. And they didn’t know that two weeks later, they had returned to the clinic and had a positive pregnancy test.</p><p>Lena knew that Kara was bursting to tell everyone, but she was more cautious. Even though her numbers were all good, Lena knew that spontaneous miscarriages were much more common in the first trimester than after, so she wanted to wait until they were past the twelve week mark to tell their friends the news. She didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up and then lose the pregnancy. She especially didn’t want to have to explain it to Colin if something happened. So for now it was their little secret, and part of Lena enjoyed it. She and Kara made a game of helping her avoid alcohol and caffeine and the smell of seafood which without fail made Lena sick.</p><p>“Mom, you want a carrot?” Colin asked.</p><p>“Sure, little man,” Kara replied, opening her mouth for Colin to poke the veggie into her mouth.</p><p>“Guess I’ll have to steal your nickname for him,” Lena sighed.</p><p>“Hey, get your own nickname,” Kara teased.</p><p>Lena ignored her and snuggled further into Kara’s embrace. Kara kissed her cheek and crossed her hands subtly over Lena’s stomach.</p><p>“How is she?” Kara asked.</p><p>“You’re going to be really disappointed if it’s a boy,” Lena said, not answering her question.</p><p>“I will not,” Kara replied. “I just don’t like calling our baby an <em>it</em>.”</p><p>“We could use gender-neutral <em>they</em>,” Lena told her. “That’s probably more politically correct.”</p><p>“I just have a feeling it’s gonna be a girl,” Kara shrugged. “But I don’t care either way.”</p><p>“Whatever you say,” Lena smirked.</p><p>“I mean it,” Kara declared. “Believe me, I’m just excited to have this family with you.”</p><p>“Hey, no canoodling on the blankets!”</p><p>They looked up as Alex and the other surfers returned.</p><p>“Mama!” Ruby exclaimed, tossing her Goldfish aside and running through the sand toward Alex.</p><p>“I would just like it on record that I carried her for nine months, was in labor for twelve hours, pushed for two, and she still doesn’t get that excited when she sees me,” Sam muttered.</p><p>“Yeah, but you’re the one she goes to for cuddles when she’s sick, without fail,” Alex said as she carried Ruby back to the blanket. “Ooo, snacks. Ruby, can I have a pretzel?”</p><p>“No!” Ruby shouted, snatching the baggie out of Alex’s reach.</p><p>“What about me, can I have one?” Sam asked.</p><p>“Mmm,” Ruby said noncommittally, handing the bag over to Sam.</p><p>“See, now who’s her favorite?” Alex teased.</p><p>Kara squeezed Lena gently again, pulling her attention back. Colin had finished his half-sandwich and carrots, and his eyes were clearly starting to droop.</p><p>“Colin, honey, why don’t you lay down for a bit?” Lena suggested.</p><p>“‘M not sleepy,” Colin replied stubbornly, only to yawn a moment later.</p><p>“Alright, then come give me some cuddles, <em>enano</em>,” Andrea called.</p><p>Lena grinned as Colin crawled over to Andrea’s blanket and practically collapsed beside her. The woman who was normally such a hard-ass was such a softie when it came to her honorary nephew, and he loved her just as much. As long as Andrea didn’t start teaching him to curse in Spanish, they were good.</p><p>“What are you thinking?” Kara asked as she kissed her temple.</p><p>“Just about how much I love our family,” Lena replied. “And how much I love you.”</p><p>“Me, too,” Kara agreed. “Me, too.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am posting all ten chapters and epilogue of this story at once, but I love reading your feedback on each chapter, so if you would, please let me know what you think at the end of each chapter as well as at the end of the fic. Comments give me life!</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26716423">August (Art) - Pizza &amp; Wine</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/3agheera/pseuds/3agheera">3agheera</a>
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